


Tattooed on My Heart

by RinSexyMatsuoka



Series: ILYAL 'verse [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: America, Cameos, Fluff, KNB Crossover, Light BDSM, M/M, SNK/AOT Crossover, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sequel, Smut, Tattoo Atrist!Rin, Wedding Planning, Wedding!, Writer!Haru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:01:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 45,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4539027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinSexyMatsuoka/pseuds/RinSexyMatsuoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three months after Rin's proposal, he and Haru plan their wedding. With the help of family and friends, they set out to make their wedding the best it can possibly be, enduring endless teasing and enjoying time with their friends all the while. Featuring cameos and reappearances by friends new and old, this sequel has everything that will rot your teeth with all the sweetness. Time to fly to America and tie the knot!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Name That Stains My Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are! ILYAL is back with a sequel and a wedding! I really hope you guys like the first chapter!

“Shit, shit, shit!”

A groan, and then, “Rin… stop swearing.”

“Dammit Haru, I don’t have time to not swear! I’m gonna be late!”

I stumbled over a pair of pants that laid on the ground, tugging on my own jeans while muttering curses. I found a clean black shirt with the words “Scarlet Ink” on the back, and quickly slipped it over my head while trying to get my hair to behave. Looked like I wouldn’t be able to go through my usual morning routine today.

With the clock reading 7:23, I hastily grabbed my phone from the bedside table and stuffed it into my pocket, trying to find some socks. I really regretted all the clothes lying around on the floor at that moment. I was pretty sure I had everything, so I rushed over to the other side of the bed to where there was a lump under the covers, a lump that was grumbling and trying to burrow even further into the sheets, hugging my pillow.

“Haru, I’m leaving,” I announced, bending down to pull the comforter down from his face.

I was met with messy black hair and a scrunched up, cranky expression. He blinked slowly, deep blue eyes peering out from behind heavy lids. I tried not to let my gaze wander; Haru’s bare chest was exposed, nipples perked up from the chill. About a year ago, Haru had gotten both of his nipples pierced, so now they both has two silver balls gleaming in them and beckoning me to suck his nipples into my mouth.

On the right side of his chest was his Free! tattoo, the waves and dolphin forming a circle around the word. Opposite that, right over his heart, was my name inked in my handwriting, the kanji forming those two words always made me grin.

“Stay,” Haru mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

I sighed, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “You know I can’t. You were a demon last night; it’s your fault I’m gonna be late in the first place!”

“You weren’t complaining.”

“Not when you beg like that,” I countered with a smirk. “Get some more rest, your hips are gonna hurt later. I need to-”

I was cut off when fingers closed around my wrist, and then I was being tugged down. I fell on top of Haru, our noses almost touching as I stared into lust-blown eyes.

“My hips can take so much more,” he said, and his voice, still rough with sleep, sent a pang of arousal straight to my groin.

“How the hell are you still horny?” I asked in disbelief. “We did it until almost 4am!”

His grip on me tightened, his free hand sliding down my back to grope my ass.

“I just happen to be fond of your cock, that’s all.”

I felt my cheeks heating up, and I sputtered out a response. God, Haru really had no shame when it came to that stuff. I quickly pulled myself away from him, standing up again. I didn’t trust myself to not let him seduce me further.

“Right, well, I’ll see you tonight!” I said, leaning over to peck his lips.

“Mmm, have a good day.”

With that, he pulled the comforter over his head again, and I smiled as I rushed out of the bedroom. The Nanase house, which was now ours, was quiet. I flew down the stairs, dashing to the front door and slipping my shoes. Just as I was tugging on my black leather jacket and favorite beanie, Sora, our Siberian Husky, came trotting over, tongue hanging out of his mouth.

“See you later, boy,” I said, patting his head.

I felt something rub against my legs. Looking down, I saw that it was Hiro, his orange fur soft and sleek.

“You too, Hiro.”

He meowed in response, and Sora gave one last bark before I was heading out the door, keys in hand. It was 7:35, and I had exactly ten minutes to get to the shop.

Snow littered the ground, the early January air biting at my nose. I led my bike, a sleek red motorcycle, down the steps of the stairway leading up to the Nanase house and to the street. Fitting my helmet on my head, I started the engine and sped off, the sound of the motor cutting through the silence of the morning.

It was my day to open up the tattoo parlor, and I was going to be fucking late if I didn’t hurry.

I probably went over a couple of speed limits, but my experience with my bike was good enough that I made it to Scarlet Ink right on time, without slipping on the ice and breaking my neck. I dismounted and took off my helmet, hurrying up to the glass front doors of the parlor and sliding the key in the lock. With a _click_ , the glass door unlocked and I pushed it open, breathing a sigh of relief.

The ‘closed’ sign was flipped to ‘open,’ and then I made my way through the empty parlor.

Everything was in order from the day before, the reception counter clean with the calendar displaying appointments in plain view. I shrugged off my jacket and beanie, turning up the heat in the parlor and then looking over the appointments for the day. I was scheduled for two tattooes, and while the first was relatively easy, I knew the second would take some time to get done. I needed to work on a new design for a client, too, and I hoped I’d have a good amount of time to work on it.

The floors, a light oak color, were gleaming in the sunlight streaming in through the glass front. The walls of the parlor were abstract with black, red, and white colors. Quotes about life and freedom were scattered around the walls, and there was art, mostly Keiji's,  hung up here and there, along with some of the designs each of the artists did. The couches and big swivel chairs in the waiting area were made of black leather, and magazines and books filled with different forms of tattoos and art were stacked neatly on a table for the clients to look at. The reception desk was made of deep cherry wood almost matching the walls, and each cubicle was made of glass and several feet away from each other. One side of the cubicles was made up of a mirror, so the client could see their reflection. The whole place was just an open plane, so no other walls closed off the place. To top it all off, speakers played music by various bands softly, adding a beat to the whirring of machines.

I was in my cubicle straightening up the stack of designs when the door opened at 8:00 on the dot. It was Kagami, bundled up in a thick red winter coat. He visibly shuddered when he stepped into the warmth of the parlor, peeling off his jacket and scarf.

“Morning, Matsuoka,” he greeted, his deep red hair still containing a few snowflakes.

“Hey,” I said back, bumping fists with him.

Kagami was the co-owner of Scarlet Ink and someone who had become an amazing friend to me. He muttered on about the cold, saying how much he prefered summer, as the other employees trickled in one by one or in pairs.

Imayoshi, with his dragon tattoo just barely visible from the collar of his shirt, patted me on the back as he went to check the appointment calendar. Midorima and Takao came in together, Takao’s grin the total opposite of Midorima’s neutral expression. Takao took his spot behind the reception counter. Midorima, adjusting his glasses with his taped fingers, went to his own cubicle to get set up. The final arrival was Hyuuga, looking absolutely done with the world. He was scowling, and I swore I could see the vein in his temple. I exchanged a look with Kagami as Hyuuga went to his cubicle, glaring at everyone to make sure we weren’t slacking off.

“Er… Everything okay, senpai?” Kagami asked.

Hyuuga sighed and and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kiyoshi was just being an idiot again. Why does he think it’s smart to call me when I’m on my way to work? He does this _all_ the time, and just so he can talk about the fucking _snow_. Bastard’s gonna be smacked for that one.”

Well, that made sense. Hyuuga’s best friend, Teppei Kiyoshi, was one of the nicest guys on the planet, but he had a habit of annoying Hyuuga at the worst times. Not that Hyuuga was ever really mad at him, he just got really annoyed.

“Alright, stop standing around and get to work,” Hyuuga ordered, as if he owned the place. “The day’s just begun!”

With that, we all went to get our things set up. I turned on the music that usually played in the parlor, already feeling pumped from the beat flowing through the speakers. I went to my cubicle and plopped down in the rolling chair at my desk, sifting through the pile of papers and looking over the design I was supposed to ink onto my next appointment.

It was a simple design. The tattoo was a flowered vine curled around a red heart, the heart depicting the name "Hinami." It must have been the client's girlfriend or wife's name, I guessed, and took a few minutes to study to design.

"Hmm... It looks like the guy who came in to look around last week wants a dragon tattoo," Imayoshi commented. He smirked, sitting back in his chair. "I wonder if it's because he saw me shirtless."

"You shouldn't have been shirtless in the first place," Midorima said. He was sitting with his legs crossed, focused intently on the sketch in his hands. His fingers flew over the paper, the scratching of the pencil barely audible over the music. "We _are_ a professional business, after all. We can't have an idiot like you messing up our image."

"Well shit, Midorima," Imayoshi responded, all smiles. "I'm pretty sure you were the one who spilled water on me in the first place. How _unprofessional_ of you."

"Tch. Maybe if you hadn't been loitering around instead of doing your work, I wouldn't have bumped into you."

"Maybe if you wore glasses that actually helped you see, you would’ve avoided bumping into me in the first place."

The two kept grumbling at each other, Midorima scowling down at the sketch and Imayoshi wearing a sickly sweet smile. It was normal for them to argue like this, so we all just went about our work as usual. Hyuuga would probably snap at them soon anyway.

“Oi! Shut up and get to work!” Hyuuga yelled, right on cue.

It was silent for a while after that. I looked over the notes I had written about a new design, making a rough outline and shadings. I spent a good hour making a detailed sketch, deciding it was good enough for now and stashing it away for later. I heard the door to the parlor open, and Takao’s chipper voice greeting the client. Glancing at the clock, I knew it was time for my first appointment, so I got up and stretched. I made my way over to the reception counter. A large, muscled man with dark hair was signing in while Takao leaned over the counter and chattered happily with a small girl. She had short blond hair and big brown eyes. The girl looked about eight years old, standing on her tip-toes to be able to see Takao better.

“Hey there,” I said, coming to a stop and leaning my hip against the counter.

“Rin!” Takao said, giving me a thumbs up. “Great timing, Takahashi-san won’t have to wait around.”

The client, Takahashi-san, greeted me with a handshake. The little girl, who I figured was probably his daughter, was staring at me with wide eyes. I shifted my weight onto my other foot, a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

“Er, hi,” I said.

It was as if a switch had been flipped, and the girl staring bouncing on her feet.

“Your tattoo is so cool!” She squealed, pointing at my arm where the sleeve of my cherry blossom tattoo was visible.

“Thanks,” I said with a smile. “That frog-looking guy over there did it for me.” I pointed over to Midorima’s cubicle, where he could be seen through the glass.

“Hey!” He said in protest, making the girl giggle.

“I want a cool tattoo, but Daddy says I have to wait till I’m older.”

“You’re too small for a tattoo, Hinami,” her Dad said, ruffling her hair.

I understood, then, that the name on the tattoo was his daughter’s. It was adorable how he wanted to have his kid’s name on his skin forever, on a heart no less.

“Everything’s set up, Takahashi-san,” I said, motioning to my cubicle. “We can get started whenever you’re ready.”

“Can I watch?” Himani asked, looking between me and her father.

“If your Dad’s okay with it, then sure.”

“Pleeeeease, Daddy?”

Takahashi-san looked contemplative, but Hinami’s puppy-dog eyes seemed to be too much to resist.

“Fine,” he conceded. “But make sure to stay out of Matsuoka-san’s way, okay?”

“Okay!”

I led them over to my cubicle, getting a spare chair from Takao for Hinami. Takahashi-san  sat on the patient bed while I got my supplies ready. I went over the process with them, explaining how long it should take. He wanted the tattoo on his right bicep, conveniently wearing a sleeveless shirt.

"Will it hurt him?" Hinami asked. She sat on the edge of her seat, staring at the tattoo gun.

"A little," I said, putting on some latex gloves. "But your Dad's strong, right? I'm sure he can handle it."

"Don't worry, Kiddo," Takahashi-san said with a grin. "Your old man's tougher than steel!"

That seemed to reassure her a bit, and she watched silently as I got to work. She didn't utter a single word, and when I told her she could talk if she wanted to, she started chattering instantly about tattoos and piercings.

"Your piercings are cool, too, Rin-san! I really like the one on your eyebrow!"

"Thanks, Hinami-chan. I've had these for years. Maybe you can get one when you're older."

"Ahh, I hope so!"

I pressed the stencil against his skin, making sure the lettering was right before I started tracing with the needle. Every few seconds, I wiped away the ink, the process rhythmic and familiar. Once I had finished the lettering carefully, I got started on the heart and vines. The colors came next, blending and popping against his tanned skin. The sting of the needle didn't seem to bother Takahashi-san at all. He took it like a champ, keeping an eye on his daughter and telling her to sit correctly in her chair.

The whole thing took about 45 minutes, and soon enough, Takahashi-san had a brand new tattoo permanently on his arm. He looked at in the mirror, grinning broadly.

"It looks great!" He exclaimed, thumping me on the back. That one thump knocked the wind out of me. "See, Hinami? Now I have my baby girl's name on my skin forever."

"Daddy..." She said in awe, then threw her arms around her father's neck.

The scene was so touching, I felt tears burning at the back of my eyes. I held back, though. Crying would be so uncool.

"Getting your name tattooed is really special," I said, putting away the supplies and starting to bandage up his arm. "Your Dad really loves you, Hinami-chan."

"My Dad's the best in the whole world!" Hinami pumped her fists in the air, as if just daring anyone to disagree. "Do you have a name on your skin, Rin-san?"

"Me? I do, actually. I have my fiancé's name tattooed right over my heart."

I touched the spot on my shirt over the tattoo of Haru's name. Hinami stared at it with such intensity, it was like she could see through the cloth and at the tattoo itself.

"That's so awesome! What's she like? Is she pretty? She must be really nice if you got her name tattooed! Can I see a picture?"

The barrage of questions caught me off guard. Takahashi-san was trying to get Hinami to settle down, but she looked so damn excited and curious. I blushed, not really knowing what to say.

"Hey now, Hinami, that's enough," Takahashi-san said. "Don't pry."

"It's, uh, it's okay," I said awkwardly, having a quick debate with myself. It's not like the sexualities of Scarlet Ink's employees was a secret, and if Takahashi-san had a problem with it, then, well, he already got his tattoo. "I don't mind."

I pulled out my phone, unlocking it and pulling up my favorite picture of Haru. It was one Gou took, actually, her photography skills coming into play. Haru was sitting in the Sharkbait Café, chin propped on his hand as he stared out the window. The light highlighted his dark hair and made his eyes sparkle, catching his thoughtful look. He was wearing one of his rare smiles. I handed the phone to Hinami, and she took looked over the picture with a little gasp.

"His name's Haru," I told her awkwardly, blushing. "And I think he's really pretty,"

I heard a snort from one of the other cubicles. Assholes, all of them. I watched Hinami's reaction carefully. Her Dad was looking at the picture from over his shoulder, and thankfully, he didn't look like he was ready to storm out.

"He is!" Hinami finally said. She was grinning and and showing her Dad the picture, practically shoving the phone in his face. "You're really lucky, Rin-san!"

I chuckled, scratching my chin.

"I am pretty lucky, aren't I?"

Takahashi-san grinned and gave me a thumbs up, congratulating me on scoring such a good catch.

Everything went smoothly from there. Takahashi-san somehow got Hinami to stop asking so many questions. They both thanked me for the tattoo and Hinami even gave me a hug before they walked out of the parlor, hand in hand.

"'His name's Haru, and I think he's really pretty.' Pfft, what are you, five?"

I turned to glare at Kagami, who was laughing with Imayoshi and Takao. I gave them the middle finger and went back to my cubicle, listening to the others talk as they worked.

Sending a client away with a smile and job well done was a great feeling.

I was yawning by the time lunch rolled around. The late night was really catching up to me, and I sat in my chair bleary eyed and suppressing another yawn.

"The fiancè keeping you up at night?" Takao asked as he wiggled his brows. "You're lucky. Shin-chan never lets us do it after 10pm."

"Shut up, Takao," Midorima said, sipping a can of red bean soup (did that even taste good?).

I blushed, shoving Takao good-naturedly.

"Haru's a fucking monster," I muttered.

I didn't have time to make myself a bento this morning, but Kagami always comes with extra food, so I had a nice balance of veggies and beef.

"Well if he can keep you up so late, I'm sure he's a _fucking_ monster," Imayoshi snickered. I kicked out at him, catching him in the shin. He only smiled and took a bite of his sandwich.

"Kids, all of you," Hyuuga muttered. "Rin, how's the wedding planning going?"

"Good so far, I guess. Mom's dead set on making it as special as possible, and she's in the plans a lot. We're trying to save money wherever we can, you know? Flying so many people to America isn't so cheap in the first place."

"Your sister's an amazing photographer," Kagami chined in. "At least you won't have to spend money hiring someone else.

I grinned proudly. "Yeah, Gou's got the pictures for the ceremony covered. Mom's torn between a traditional Japanese style wedding or a Western one, but we just might go with the latter."

"Ehhh, I kinda like the idea of Western," Takao said. He glanced over to Midorima, who was eating with his chopsticks. "But I think Shin-chan would want a Japanese style for when we get married."

Midorima choked on his food, and Hyuuga had to thump his back for him to breathe normally again. He was blushing all the way to his ears as he glared at his boyfriend.

"Takao, _shut_ up."

We all laughed, teasing Midorima about when he would finally pop the question to Takao. He declared that he hated all of us, and told us to 'go die'. I rolled my eyes, distracted when my phone began to ring. A look at the caller ID told me it was Mom.

"Guys, shut up, it's my mom," I said, picking up the phone. "Hey Mom."

"Rin, pass the weed!" Takao exclaimed loudly.

"Rin, why are you taking off your pants?" Imayoshi asked innocently.

"Midorima, put your clothes back on!" Kagami said.

"Bastards," I huffed, giving them all a punch for good measure. They laughed, Takao almost falling off his chair.

"I sometimes wonder about the people you hired, Rin," Mom's voice came through the phone. "But anyway, you're on your lunch break, right?"

"It's not like you've got my whole schedule memorized, Mom."

"Don't get sassy with me. But more importantly, you and Sosuke are meeting me at the train station on Saturday. We're going shopping for your suits."

I popped a carrot into my mouth. "Why just me and Sosuke? What about Haru?"

"I'm taking him and Makoto the next day. You two can't see each other's suits until the the wedding day!"

"Mom," I said exasperatedly, "Does it really matter? Aren't they gonna be the same thing anyway?"

"Don't be stupid, Rin. You're going to have your own unique suit. Just call Sosuke and let him know to meet us at 10:30 sharp, alright?"

"Alright," I said, knowing better than to argue. "I'll see you on Saturday, then."

"Well, it looks like it's going to be a Western style wedding," I muttered when she hung up.

Yawning, I continued with my meal, knowing Mom would drag us around all day on Saturday. At least I'd have Sosuke to suffer with me.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll (hopefully) be updating every other week! If you guys have any questions of comments, you can hit me up on tumblr! (sharkbait-rin)


	2. Suit and Tie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mama Matsuoka takes Rin and Sosuke suit shopping, and Rin learns how tedious it is. At least he and Sosuke can find ways of amusing themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with another chapter! Not my best, but we gotta move the story along. (P.S. I have never actually been to an American wedding despite living in America, so excuse my horrible suit describing skills.)  
> Apart from that, I hope you guys like it!

Saturday morning, I got to the train station ten minutes before I was supposed to meet Mom and Sosuke. I was a little surprised to find that Sosuke was already there. He stood with one hand in the pocket of his dark wash jeans, texting rapidly with the other. He wore a long sleeved checkered shirt with a hoodie on top, bracing himself against the cold of the winter. He looked up when I headed over, my shoes crunching in the snow.

“You’re here early,” I commented, holding out my fist for him to bump. He did so, but looked at me with complete seriousness.

“I’ve learned over the years to not keep the women in your family waiting,” Sosuke said, and I nodded grimly. He had a good point.

I stood by him with my back against the station wall, exhaling and watching my breath steam up. It was silent for a moment between us, before Sosuke voiced what we were both thinking.

“We’re going to suffer today, aren’t we?”

“Shopping with Mom? You bet we’ll suffer. She’s going to make us try shit on for hours.”

Sosuke looked at me with a grave expression.

"We're going to try and ditch her, aren't we?"

I flashed him a grin. "Just like the good old days."

Before I could say anything else, I spotted a flash of red. Mom made her way over to us, hair tied back and her purse by her side.

"Rin! Sosuke!" She said as she stopped in front of us. We each gave her a tight hug, and she stepped back to examine Sosuke.

"Handsome as ever, I see," Mom said happily. "Though you visit as often as Rin does. Which is to say, barely ever."

Sosuke looked slightly guilty, and I looked away. "Ah, sorry. I'll try to make it a point to visit more." Sosuke said.

Mom seemed to be satisfied with that, and she turned on her heel and led us to the platform.

"Where we're going, you'll be able to browse and pick out whatever suit you want," Mom informed us. "We'll need shoes, too, of course. I doubt you even own a pair of dress shoes, Rin."

I didn't bother to contradict her. She was right, after all. The three of us stepped onto the train, and I tuned out Mom’s conversation with Sosuke for the rest of the ride. My mind drifted to Haru, who was probably holed up at home typing away at a manuscript. His works were getting more and more popular by the day, which was great because for Haru, it was one step closer to installing a pool at our place. He loved writing, and I loved watching him do what he loved.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when the train came to a stop, and we followed Mom out and into the sun.

“Alright boys, follow me!”

We did, and I asked Sosuke about Keiji on the way. Apparently, Keiji was holing himself up at home, too, working on a painting for an art show.

“I have to drag him out of the studio to eat,” Sosuke complained with a sigh. “He forgets to shower, and let me tell that that is really not pleasant.”

“I know what you mean,” I sympathized. “Haru gets into these moods where inspiration strikes and he doesn’t move from his spot for hours. I’m pretty sure he’ll need glasses soon, with how much he stares at that computer screen.”

“At least they’re happy,” Sosuke said with a shrug. “At least Keiji’s less annoying when he’s busy.”

“We’re here!” Mom exclaimed suddenly, and we both looked up to see where exactly ‘here’ was.

We stood in front of a store titled Suits n’ Roses. A weird name, I thought, but the suits displaying through the glass at the front were nothing to laugh at. The manikins that wore them looked professional and ready to go, more like real people than dolls. Just looking at the two piece and three piece suits made me feel hot and stuffy, even if I was standing out in the cold.

Mom grabbed Sosuke and I by the wrists and dragged us inside, excitement radiating off of her.

I couldn’t help but gape when we stepped inside. It was huge, aisles of suits for all occasions scattered around the floor. There were signs for where the changing rooms were, along with a sign for where we could get measurements taken to get the suit we picked tailored to our exact size. There was even a second floor. Escalators led up to a floor with even more suits, and I wondered just how many different kinds of suits there could possibly be.

“We’re heading up to the second floor,” Mom said, walking ahead. “The suits for grooms and best men are up there.”

I felt kind of uncomfortable in such a classy place. I, with my piercings and tattooes, stood out among the other shoppers. I didn’t let it bother me, though, and instead stepped off onto the second floor and was faced with even more aisles of suits.

A worker came up to us and asked if we’d like any help, but Mom told her we’d like to browse for now, and led us over to jungle that was the groom’s section.

“We’ll start with you, Rin,” Mom announced.

I looked around in disbelief. “We’re seriously going to browse through all of these suits just to find one that looks good on me? Couldn’t we have asked that employee?”

Mom turned to me and flashed me a grin, hand on her hip. “Hunting’s half the fun! Now stop your whining and let’s get started.”

I shared a look with Sosuke, and then we were off to look around.

To say the selection was large would be an understatement. Sosuke and I went through row after row of suits, his bewildered expression mirroring mine. I had never worn a suit before, and I had no idea what to look for. We settled for picking out the most ridiculous ones and holding them up against ourselves.

There was a bright pink suit jacket that was kind of painful on the eyes, but I slid it on anyway. I gave my best pose, trying to look suave and sexy. Sosuke tried to keep a straight face, he really did, but he ended up having to turn away so he wouldn't burst out laughing.

He found a garish jacket that was mustard yellow, and I urged him to wear it. It clashed horribly with his eyes, but it was fucking hilarious to see him in such a bright color and I just had to take a picture.

And send it to Keiji, of course.

Mom found us in a fit of laughter, rolling her eyes.

"Children," I heard her mutter.

She had two jackets draped over her arms, and she held them out for me. One was a deep red color, and I could see the appeal of it. It went nicely with my eyes, the crimson complimenting them and making them stand out. The other jacket was charcoal gray, more tame and traditional. The color didn't stand out as much as the red, but the subtleness of it was nice.

"Try on the jackets first. I just want to know what looks good on the outside before getting to the other stuff," Mom said.

I went for the red jacket first, slipping it on and letting Mom and Sosuke decide its attractiveness.

"Hmm," Sosuke hummed in thought, giving me a once over. "It's a little too... It stands out a bit too much, don't you think?"

Mom gave a nod, looking thoughtful. "I'll need to coordinate it with Haru's suit, too. Maybe I should just scrap the idea of red and blue altogether. Rin, take it off and try this one instead."

I followed her orders and put on the gray jacket next. I could instantly tell that they liked this one better, if Mom's nod was anything to go by.

"Maybe something a little darker, but you look good in this one," Mom commented.

I shrugged, taking her word for it.

Mom went back to suit hunting, but this time she didn't let Sosuke and I wander. She made me try on jacket after jacket, going through every eye catching color before getting to the more mellow tones. I sent Sosuke a glare as he silently laughed.

"You've got no room to laugh," I said, flicking him off. "You're next."

His smile fell off in an instant, leaving me victorious.

Now, I love my Mom, I really do. She's an amazing person, funny and caring and just a great mom in general. But after an hour of dragging me around through the rows of jackets, I was starting to really question her love for me.

"This one!" She finally exclaimed.

I looked at what she held and couldn't help letting out a groan. Sosuke snorted beside me, covering his mouth.

What she held in her hands was a simple black jacket with a matching black vest. A fucking black jacket and vest. After all of the colors we went through, black was her favorite.

"Here," she said, handing me the jacket and vest. She went over to another aisle and picked out a stark white dress shirt. "Put these on and I'll try to find some slacks that match."

Grumbling, I dragged my feet to the changing room. It was a decent size, enough for me to move around in with a curtain as the entrance and a full body mirror on the opposite side. I stripped my clothes and got down to the tedious task of putting on the suit.

First came the dress shirt, which was just my size and didn't feel too tight. I put on the vest next, buttoning it up before slipping on the jacket.

"Put these on," came Sosuke's voice, and then his hand was thrusting a pair of slacks and a tie at me.

I pulled on the slacks easily, but it was the damn tie that wouldn't cooperate. Needless to say, I had no idea how to tie a tie, and after five minutes of struggling, I gave up.

"Sosuke," I groaned. "Get in here and tie this fucking tie for me."

A sigh, and then Sosuke was stepping into the room with me. The place wasn't meant for two grown men, and we were cramped in the tiny area.

"Step back a little," Sosuke mumbled, reaching up for the tie.

"You're just too big."

He gave a tug on the tie around my neck, effectively making me shut up while he expertly tied it. He patted my chest once he was done, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

"Your mom's terrifying. She has this look on her face like she's going to go through the whole store if this suit doesn't look nice."

I gave a grim nod, knowing exactly what he meant. Sosuke left me alone to straighten up the suit, and I gave the completed look a once over in the mirror.

The jacket was sleek but plain, the black color of it giving it more of an offcial feel. It was a little tight around the shoulders, but that could easily be fixed with the right measurements. The black vest sat atop the white dress shirt, and I felt kind of like a bartender if I didn't have the jacket on. The buttons were perfectly spaced and seemed to shine a little, and the collar of the shirt was stiff and folded to perfection. The look was completed with the scarlet tie, bringing out my eyes and adding a splash of color to my otherwise monochrome outfit.

Taking a deep breath and praying to every god out there that Mom liked it just as much as I did, I stepped of the changing room.

Mom clapped her hands and looked at me like I was the sun, coming up to straighten my tie. She was positively beaming.

"Perfect!" Mom exclaimed. "I think it's the tie that really does it. What do you think, Rin? It's simple and makes you look handsome. Easy to coordinate with Haru's, too."

I gave her a thumbs up. "I love it."

And it wasn't really a lie either, despite what Sosuke might have thought. It looked good on me, and I could just imagine Haru's reaction when he saw me in it.

With my suit picked out, I changed back into my normal clothes. I was in that thing for less than five minutes and I was already sweating bullets. How the hell did businessmen wear them all day?

Next came the hunt for Sosuke suit, and I watched with glee as he was pulled along by Mom and forced to try on different dress shirts and ties. Whenever he sent me a pleading look, I just shrugged and said, "My Best Man's gotta look good."

Finally, we decided on a suit that was similar to mine. It was a two piece, with a black jacket over a white dress shirt. His tie was teal, and it went well with my red one. I didn't know why we had spent so long deciding when our suits were so simple, but Mom insisted that we weren't seeing the finer details.

We went down to get our measurements taken so our suits could be tailored to fit us perfectly. It was only when we came to the register that I noticed the price tags.

"Mom!" I said in disbelief. Sosuke shared my look of bewilderment. "This is way too expensive!"

Mom rolled her eyes and looked at me like I was dumb.

"It's nothing," she said, waving it off.

"It's not 'nothing'. Let me pay for half. Haru and Makoto still need suits too!"

I got a smack on the back of the head for that one. Mom's red eyes were filled with confidence and fire as she stared me down.

"You're already paying for most of the tickets to America," she pointed out. "Honestly, Rin, did you think I didn't have anything saved up for my kids' weddings? And Gou doesn't want to get married, so that means this is my one chance to see my kid's wedding, and you better believe I'm going to make the most of it. You're going to get everything I didn't, so stop complaining and let me pay for the damn things."

"She's got a point," Sosuke said. "She won't get to gush with Gou or some girl about wedding dresses, so she's taking what she can get. She's your mom, let her do what she wants."

I felt kind of bad for letting her pay, but Sosuke was right. Maybe Mom had dreamed of getting to talk dresses with a sweet girl one day, but with me being so totally gay, all she could do was go for the suits. And instead of both of her kids getting married, I was the only one, so it made sense that she'd want to do at least this much.

In the end, I didn't put up a fight, and then we were exiting Suits n' Roses and heading down the street to a shoe shop.

I really had no interest in shopping for shoes. As we walked, I looked around at my surroundings, curiously eyeing the different stores in the area. What caught my eye was a bookstore right across the street from the shoe shop.

I nudged Sosuke, motioning to the bookstore. He gave me a covert nod in return, and we stayed side by side as Mom walked into the shop. She chattered away, talking about the different styles and materials of shoes, not bothering to look back to make sure we were following. As soon as she was a few feet away, Sosuke and I doubled back, rounding a shoe stand and dashing out the store.

We ran across the street, laughing and bursting through the door of the bookstore. The girl behind the counter startled and dropped her book, but we were too busy crouching down to stealthily look out the window to notice. There was no sign of Mom, which meant she hadn't seen us take off and didn't notice we weren't there.

Sosuke and I high fived, straightening up and looking around.

"What now?" Sosuke asked, hands in his pockets.

"We look around? Maybe Mom'll get tired and just pick the shoes for us and then we can go home."

"Might as well see if there's any books your guy will like."

I smiled, throwing an arm around Sosuke and ruffling his hair. He acted like he hated Haru, but he was actually really considerate about him. I poked his cheek and he tried to bat me off, grumbling.

"I'm not getting him anything," he protested. "I thought you might want to."

"Suuuure," I teased, strolling forward to look around. "Admit it, you're just a big softy for Haru."

Sosuke scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You're forgetting how I hated his guts for the first few months I knew him."

We strolled through the shelves and browsed amongst the books, moving past ancient history and going into the young adult section. I knew Haru's favorite authors, and  I figured I might as well get him something he'd love.

"But you love him now," I said easily. "You two irritate the fuck out of each other, but you've always got each other's backs."

Sosuke could have denied it all he wanted, but I knew the truth. Haru was important to him because he was important to me, and Sosuke would never let anything happen to Haru. Sosuke's actually beaten a few people up when they decided Haru was an easy target for hateful comments.

Sosuke, cheeks pink and a scowl set on his features, followed me as I scanned through the books. I found the _S_ section in the horror genre, finally coming upon Sasaki-sensei's works. If I remembered right, it was book number three that Haru had been meaning to get, and lucky for me, it was in stock. I slid the hard copy out of its spot on the shelf and tucked it under my arm.

"How much longer till you think she notices?" I asked, walking back to the register.

Sosuke looked over his shoulder to the window, as if he would see Mom stomping her way over here.

"Not long. Why am I doing this again?"

"Because I said so."

He shook his head at my logic. There was no one at the register when we went over, and the girl behind the counter gave us a wary look as she took the book. I watched her ring it up, moving to pull out my wallet, when Sosuke's voice caught my attention.

"Isn't this Haru's book?"

I looked over, noticing the stand next to the counter. From the looks of it, it held the hottest new books that just came out, featuring them right at the front. And sure enough, there sat Haru's new book among the rest, cover gleaming in the light.

I instantly broke out in a grin, leaving the cashier hanging as I bent to get a closer look. _Memories in the Distance_ , with its gorgeous cover art, was staring back at me from its spot on the shelf.

Now, being Haru's fiancé, I was the first to read his manuscripts after his editor. Haru had really outdone himself with this book. I refused to talk to anyone while I was reading it, in awe at the sheer force of emotions that Haru had poured into his words.

A story about amnesia, _Memories in the Distance_ was about a man who woke up alone and without a clue to where he was. He didn't know his name, he didn't know why these people around him were stripping him of his clothing and shackling him in chains. But when he was forced to fight and devour other humans, the guy couldn't take it any longer and made his escape.

He had a lover, a faceless, nameless lover whose gender was never revealed. He started a journey to find his way back and figure out who he was, but in the end, death found him first.

Needless to say, I cried like a fucking baby while I read it. I felt like I was right there with him, experiencing everything he did, and that was all thanks to Haru's amazing writing.

"He writes some dark shit," Sosuke commented over my shoulder.

Of course, all of our friends had bought a copy as soon as it was released, and its popularity just kept rising.

I snatched the book up and slid it over to the cashier.

"This too, please," I said, pulling out the right amount of yen.

"Didn't you get a free copy since you're fucking the author?" Sosuke asked, making the girl squeak.

I gave him a serious look. "You can never have too much perfection."

It was when I was taking the bag that I felt my phone vibrate, and I pulled it out to check the message.

_**From: Mom** _

_Get your asses back here in ten seconds or so help me god_

"She's pissed," Sosuke pointed out the obvious.

I groaned, really not wanting to go back. We did, though, with Sosuke pulling me along across the street and into the shop. Mom stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, looking scary calm.

"Sometimes, I feel like you're 4 instead of 24," she said.

I opened my mouth to respond, but then her hands came up to yank at our ears, hard.

"Ow ow ow!"

"That's what you get for sneaking off. Now, try on these shoes that I know are two sizes too small for you. You want to ditch? You have to deal with the consequences."

The shopping after that was horrifying, and it was two hours laters that we were finally heading back to the train station with sore feet. We'd gotten a sleek black pair of dress shoes for both me and Sosuke, and I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Sosuke and I had our outfits, and now only Haru and Makoto were left. Poor Haru would have to go through the same thing tomorrow, and he loved Mom too much to say anything. Makoto was just too nice; he'd probably end up extending the trip by hours just so Mom could spend more time with him.

Eventually, we were stepping off the train together and getting ready to go our separate ways. Mom gave Sosuke and I bone crushing hugs, and I hugged her back just as tightly. Yeah, I hated suit shopping, but I loved Mom to death and that would never change.

"Visit me sometime, okay?" She said, glaring. "You live so close now, it's not that hard."

Sosuke and I gave her a sheepish look.

"We will, Matsuoka-san," Sosuke promised. He hugged her again for good measure. "Take care."

Mom went her own way, leaving me and Sosuke to stand in the snow for a few more moments.

"Well, I have to go," I sighed, checking the time. "I promised Kagami I'd pop into the parlor to help out."

I raised my fist to bump it with Sosuke's, but found myself being pulled into a hug instead.

"Later, Rin," Sosuke said in my ear, and I patted his back once I got over the surprise.

"See you soon, Sosuke. We're still up for the gym on Tuesday, right?"

He pulled back and smiled, teal eyes glinting in the sunlight.

"Married or not, you're stuck with me forever."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin loves his mother in all honesty. If you have questions or comments, hit me up on tumblr! (sharkbait-rin)


	3. Ride It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin learned early on that when Haru gets cuddly, it's usually because he's horny.  
> Poor, poor Makoto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well now that I've caught up to what's been prewritten of this fic, I'll have to work in maximum overdrive to make sure my chapters are out on time! But for now, have some poorly written smut because all that writing makes Haru horny.

Lazy days were my favorite. I didn’t have to worry about work, I could put off wedding planning, and I could force Haru away from his laptop so we could cuddle.

Which was exactly what we were doing in that moment.

I was laying on the floor in the sitting room, Haru half on top of me as we watched TV. His head was resting on my chest, and I took the opportunity to run my fingers through his dark hair. He hummed in contentment, turning his head to bury his face in the crook of my neck. I was sure that if Haru was a cat, he’d be purring like a motor.

“You’re really cuddly today,” I observed, kissing the top of his head with my eyes still locked on the TV screen.

“Mm,” was Haru’s response. He snuggled closer and wiggled against me, drawing a chuckle from me. “I’ve just missed you, is all.”

The full impact of that statement hit me when he shifted his hips against my leg. Oh, it felt like he missed me, alright. I’d forgotten that when Haru got cuddly, it was mostly because he was horny, trying to seduce me by being cute. Not that he needed it; I was up to bang anytime he wanted.

"You're always so horny," I mumbled, letting my hand slide down his back.

I felt him shiver, his hips picking up speed. He clutched the front of my shirt as his lips found my neck. My heart skipped a beat, and I rolled my head to the side to give him easier access, his mouth leaving hot, open mouthed kissed up to my jaw.

"You make me this horny," Haru muttered in my ear, sucking my lobe into his mouth. It was my right one, the one pieced with the infinity earring he had given me for our first Christmas. Somehow, that little action always got me going, and I let out a low groan.

I could feel his bulge rubbing against my thigh through our jeans. From the feel of it, he was already half hard, his sensual kisses pulling me right along with him. Haru's soft lips trailed up my jaw, and I caught a flash of blue before his mouth was on mine. My hands slid down to his hips as we kissed, slowly at first. I slid my tongue against his and I rubbed my tongue piercing against the roof of his mouth, pulling such sweet moans from him.

I pulled him even closer to me. My thigh rose to meet his grinding as he sucked on my tongue, panting into my mouth and pulling on my shirt as if he was trying to tear it off. Giving one last wet kiss, I pulled back, gulping down air and resting my head on the floor. Haru looked gorgeous above me; his cheeks were flushed, lips glistening with our saliva as he panted lightly.

I sat up, pulling him into my lap. He wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled me into another kiss, biting gently on my bottom lip. I moaned, finding the hem of his shirt and tugging it as a hint for him to raise his arms. He pulled back and I used the chance to slide his shirt up and over his head. He did the same with mine, and then we went back to our heated make out session. My fingers played with his nipples as we kissed; I tugged on the silver piercings, making him gasp into my mouth and buck his hips.

"Rin..." He breathed, and that was my cue to attack his chest with my mouth.

Haru's nipples had only gotten more sensitive after he got them pierced. I could usually reduce him to a moaning mess just by playing with them. I flicked my tongue against the right one, my piercing hitting his and making a small _clink_. Haru moaned, arms tightening around my neck as I sucked the pink bud into my mouth. I rolled it around with my tongue, squeezing and pulling the other one with my fingers.

I lapped my tongue over it, alternating between strong sucks and gentle pulls with my teeth. Once I was satisfied with my work on the right one, I switched over to the left nipple and gave it the same treatment.

Haru's fingers were in my hair, gently tugging and sending shocks of arousal straight down to my cock. His hips were slowly moving against mine, giving just the tiniest bit of friction. It wasn't nearly enough, but the sensation made the heat build.

"Ah!" Haru moaned as I gave one final tug on his nipple piercing, before popping my mouth off and gently blowing on it. His nipples were slick with spit and perked up; I could suck on them all day.

"We should go to bed," I murmured into the side of his neck. "The lube's upstairs."

"Maybe I hid some under one of the cushions," he said, thumb stroking my jawline.

I looked at him in disbelief. He wouldn't... Would he? I looked around, spotting the cushion on the ground closest to us. I reached over and lifted it up, gaping when I saw a small tube of lube lying beneath it.

"You fucking did," I said, shocked. I shook my head, huffing a laugh before picking up the tube. "Did you plan this out from the beginning? Trick me into thinking you'd relax with me just to get us to fuck? When did you even put this here?"

Haru's eyes glinted and his hands went straight for my belt.

"You're just too easy, Rin."

I was going to shoot back a response, but the next thing I knew, his hand was slipping into my underwear to palm my length.

"Fuck," I hissed, bringing my palms to his jean-clad ass. "Are we really gonna do this here?"

"Hiro's probably sleeping somewhere, and Sora's tied out front. You're not moving from this spot for a very long time."

And damn, if that didn't just make me harder.

Haru gave my cock one last tug before he pulled his hand out and set them on my shoulder. He pushed me down on my back, crawling off my lap to tug my pants down my legs. Once those were off, he wasted no time in hooking his fingers under the elastic of my briefs and pulling them off in one go. The cool air made my cock twitch; it laid hard and flushed against my stomach, begging for attention.

Haru looked over it hungrily, his usually neutral expression filled with lust. He wrapped his fingers around the length, giving it a slow stroke from base to tip. I sucked in breath, eyes locked on his movements as he slowly worked his hand up and down. What really got to me was that he was using his left hand. I could feel his engagement ring rubbing against my flesh with every stroke, and just the thought of him using something so precious to him to touch me like this had me quivering.

"Haru," I said breathily, pushing myself up on my elbows. "Lay on your back, let me take your pants off."

He looked impatient, like all he wanted to do was swallow my dripping cock to the base. That idea sent a shiver up my spine, but I had an even better one that would make him moan, too.

Haru rolled onto his back, and I laid on top of him. As my hands worked his belt, I pressed kisses down his stomach. I slid his zipper down before tugging his jeans off, and I was met with gorgeous thighs that called out to me. God, I loved his thighs. His underwear was thrown to the side with the rest of our clothes, and then he was gloriously naked for my eyes to devour.

I smirked, kneeling and rubbing his leg while Haru looked on curiously.

"Ready, babe?" I asked, before moving into position.

Turning my body, I moved up and put my knees on either side of his head. I heard him suck in a breath as my cock came dangerously close to his face. Leaning forward, I settled myself on my forearms over his crotch. Even after all these years, it was still a little embarrassing to be so exposed to him. I knew he had the perfect view of my ass up close and personal, but I shoved that embarrassment to the side to focus on his dick.

"The hickeys I left last time are gone," I observed as Haru's tongue peeked out to flick at the head of my cock. "We need to change that."

So I got to work on his thighs. I ignored his cock for now, going straight for his legs as I licked along one thigh. Massaging the other one, I gently began to suck on the supple flesh, biting and leaving marks. Half my mind was on what Haru was doing; I felt his tongue gliding over the length of my cock, and then he took the head into his mouth.

I moaned, focusing enough to switch my attention to his other thigh. I was pretty sure I had a thigh fetish, because I always took the time to kiss and bite Haru's thighs. I didn't let up until both of them had a smattering of hickeys. By then, Haru was done teasing me, and he grabbed a hold of my cock and sucked it deeper into his mouth.

"Fuck," I moaned, trying not to buck my hips.

Haru's cock was flushed and hard against his stomach, steadily dripping precome. He wiggled his hips as if to remind me that he was waiting, and I took it into my hand and ran my tongue over it. Haru's breath hitched, but he didn't pause in his sucking. I used my hand to stroke while I dipped my tongue into his slit. The taste of precome hit my taste buds, but I was used to it by this point. The silver ball on my tongue rubbed against his slit and he moaned around my cock, sending vibrations up my shaft and making me tremble with pleasure.

I was surprised when Haru took ahold of my cheeks and swallowed me down to the base in one go.

"Mm!" I moaned, having to pull my mouth off of his cock before I accidentally bit it off. "Fuck, Haru. Warn a guy before you deep throat him."

I could practically feel him smirk around me. Haru shifted his hips, pressing his cock to my lips to get me to suck on him again. Grumbling and letting out breathy moans, I took him into my mouth again, bobbing my head. His legs were quivering, and I pressed my piercing against his shaft with every bob of my head.

He gasped when I tongued right below the sensitive head, and his legs came up to wrap around my head.

"Mm...mmm..." He moaned with his mouth full of cock.

He was making me a moaning mess, especially with the way he locked his legs around my head and kept my face between his legs. His thighs pressed against me on either side, and I sucked for all I was worth while I dug my nails into his flesh.

We were both reduced to a panting mess in no time. I felt like I could come at any moment, the warm, wet heat of Haru's mouth trying to pull my orgasm from me. But fuck, it was way too soon and we hadn't even gotten to the best part yet.

I was half expecting Haru to go for the lube, but when he kept his attention on my cock instead, I reached over and grabbed the tube instead. Noticing what I was doing, Haru removed my head from his hold and spread his legs open wide. It looked like he was in the mood to bottom, after all.

"Fuck, let up, I'll come if you keep that up."

Haru reluctantly removed his mouth. Instead, he took my balls into his mouth, sucking on them in turn and pushing me that much closer to the edge.

Groaning, I snapped open the cap of the lube, pouring a generous amount onto my fingers. I rubbed my fingers together to warm it up a little, before massaging his puckered entrance. The little noises he made as he lapped at my balls were like music to my ears. I teased his hole for a bit, making him frustratedly try to push his hips back onto my fingers.

In one smooth motion, I took his cock into mouth and slipped a finger inside him at the same time.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, bucking his hips up.

I managed not to choked on his dick, and slid my finger in and out while he abandoned all attempts at blowing me to just experience the pleasure from my mouth and finger. I didn't mind, and soon I was slipping in a second finger along with the first.

"You don't need to take so much time," Haru panted impatiently. "Hurry."

"Bossy," I muttered, but slid in the third finger anyway.

I moved them around, scissored them and crooked them in hopes of finding that one spot that made him go crazy. It was easy to find with all the practice I had, and I assaulted it with my fingers. Haru moaned loudly, squirming beneath me. I ached to see his expression, but I had to settle for imagining it as I stroked his prostate and ran my tongue up his cock.

"Ah, that's enough," Haru moaned out. "I'm ready now. Do something."

"Maybe I wanna tease you a bit," I said, looking over my shoulder and giving him a smirk. He was flushed and panting, his head lolling to the side when I jabbed my fingers against his sweet spot. "Maybe you need to be punished a bit."

I was caught off guard when I heard a growl, and then my world was tilted as I found myself on my back. Haru crawled over me, looking determined and a little bit annoyed.

"I'll do it myself, then," he stated, grabbing for the tube of lube.

I hissed as he slicked up my cock, watching in awe as he lifted his hips and positioned my cock right at his entrance. He slid down just enough to the take the head, arching his back and letting out a slow breath.

He took the whole thing in one go and my hands flew to his hips, clutching him tight.

"Shit!" I groaned, struggling to keep my eyes open.

Haru looked gorgeous above me. My eyes raked up his torso, taking in the sweat glistening on his skin. His nipple piercings glinted in the light, and a single drop of sweat rolled down the side of his neck. His head was tipped back, eyes closed and pink lips parted slightly. His chest rose and fell with every breath, and his cock stood at attention with precome slowly leaking from the tip.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I said, voice stained. I was trying not to thrust up into him. He was so hot and tight, clenching and unclenching around me as he adjusted.

Haru opened his eyes and looked down at me. A slow smile spread across his lips, but he didn’t say anything as he slowly moved his hips. He lifted himself up inch by inch before slamming himself down on my cock.

We moaned at the same time, curses flying out of my mouth with the shock of pleasure that coursed through me. With that, he started a fast pace, his hands braced on my stomach as he bounced on my cock. He rode me like a champ, sliding up and down on my cock while his own bobbed between us.

My hands slid over his chest, nails scratching down his _F_ _ree_ tattoo and my name inked over his heart. I love seeing them there, especially when we had sex; it always gave me a thrill to touch the ink that was there all because of me.

“Rin,” Haru moaned, leaning forward. His beautiful body took my cock more desperately with every downwards thrust. “Ah, fuck, just like that.”

Hearing Haru swear was a rare thing. If he swore, it usually meant that he was either beyond angry, or he was getting fucked just the way he liked. That made me even more aroused, and I laid back and watched as he rode me to his heart’s content. He let out small whimpers and gasps as he picked up speed, thighs tensing as he lifted himself up each time. I slid my hands up to tweak at his nipples, rolling my thumbs over them.

Haru leaned down, his hands finding my shoulders as he connected our lips. The kiss was filthy, all tongue and teeth as he tried to keep the pace going. I decided to help out a little and thrusted my hips up to meet him. The noises coming from where we were connected were absolutely filthy, and the shift in angle hit his prostate dead on.

“Yes!” Haru yelled, eyes closed as his legs shook in pleasure. “Right there!”

He rode me with renewed force, the friction on my dick making me feel like I was going to explode any second. Grunting, I thrusted up harder, fucking him with all of my strength. I was close; I could feel the heat coiling in my gut.

“Close,” I gasped, scratching at his thighs. “So close, Haru… M’gonna come…”

He leaned down, biting at my ear and breathing hotly.

“Go on, fill me up…”

“Shit!”

That was more than I could handle. His sultry words and the way he was squeezing me so perfectly were enough to do me in, and I came with a low moan that filled the room. I spurted everything I had inside him, filling him with my hot seed. In a haze of pleasure, I reached out to take his cock in hand, jerking him off in time with his movements. Haru screwed his eyes shut, his hips stuttering as he was pushed over the edge. One more thrust and stroke was all it took, and then he was shooting his load all over my stomach and chest.

He slowed to a stop, breathing heavily as he dragged a finger through the mess on my stomach.

“I’ll be able to focus better now,” he stated, making me gape.

“You’re not going back to writing now that you had sex,” I said fiercely. “We’re spending the day together. I’m not letting you hole yourself up in the room again.”

Haru sighed but didn’t argue. Instead, he kissed me again, pressing his lips gently against mine. My cock, now soft, was slipping out of him, and I could feel the telltale dripping of my come slowly oozing out of his ass.

“We should get cleaned up,” I murmured against his lips.

He stubbornly stayed in place, kissing my jaw affectionately.

“You know,” I said, “I don’t know if you’re more cuddly when you’re asking for sex or after we’ve already fucked.”

“Hmm,” he hummed in response, not really paying attention.

I was just about to tell him that dried come was really not pleasant, when the sound of Sora barking outside filled my ears, following by the ringing of the doorbell.

“Fucking shit!” I cursed, quickly sitting up. Haru looked more annoyed at being disturbed than worried, leisurely lifting himself up off my cock.

“Haru, Rin!” Came Makoto’s cheery voice. “It’s me! Oh, and Kuro and Shiro too, of course!”

I was hurriedly pulling out tissues form the box we kept on the table, wiping up the mess on my stomach. I hopped around, pulling my underwear and jeans on.

“Uh, yeah! One sec!” I called out, sending Haru a glare. “Put your clothes on!”

Haru shrugged, pulling on his briefs. I blushed, noticing how the wet spot on the back was growing bigger. But apparently Haru didn’t think it was necessary to put on his pants, because he strutted down the hall and the to the front door in just his underwear.

God, he was so embarrassing. I managed to pull on my shirt and hide the tube of lube by the time Haru came back, a blushing Makoto in tow. It looked like he’d noticed the wetness on the back of Haru’s briefs, too.

“Er, hi, Rin,” Makoto said awkwardly.

I focused on the two pet carriers in his hands, because there was no way I could look him in the eye right then.

“Hey, Makoto. Glad you stopped by.”

“I’ll be in the bath,” Haru stated casually, gathering his clothes and heading off toward the stairs.

That left me and Makoto to stand there awkwardly.

“I, uh, I thought Kuro and Shiro could have a play date with Hiro,” Makoto said, putting down the carriers. He was blushing to the tips of his ears, and I’d tease him if I wasn’t so fucking embarrassed. “Sorry, I should have called first.”

I waved him off, scratching the back of my head. “It’s no big deal. Just.... forget you ever saw anything.”

He nodded his head frantically. “Of course.”

He knelt to open the carriers, and out trotted two eight month old kittens. One was snow white, her fur seeming to shimmer just like the snow outside. Her baby blue eyes gazed up at me as she circled my legs. The other, black from his ears to the tip of his tail, had eyes to match his sister. While Shiro rubbed against my legs and began to purr, Kuro watched on with a bored expression. Well, as bored as a cat can look, anyway.

I heard Sora barking outside. He whined the way he did when he wanted to be let in, no doubt wanting to play with the cats too. While Makoto put the carriers to the side, I went to open the door for him. Sora was tied in the corner of the garden, tail swishing happily when he saw me. I shivered, the chill in the air biting at my skin.

“Alright boy, let’s go in,” I said, untying him and taking off the leash. He barked, bounding forward once he was free. “Sora!” He stopped in his tracks, giving me a head tilt. “Shake.”

He obeyed right away, shaking his body to dislodge any snow attached to his fur. Couldn’t have him tracking snow in the house. Satisfied, I rubbed his head and ushered him inside, closing the door behind me.

Hiro was sitting with his brother and sister when we came in. Makoto watched on with contentment, a huge smile on his face. He looked like a happy parent when Kuro took the tip of Hiro’s ear in his mouth and tugged, getting a paw smack from Hiro in turn.

“So, what’s new?” I asked, taking a seat next to Makoto.

“Ah, nothing really,” he said, green eyes still fixed on the kittens. “Sei’s busy with work today, so I thought I’d visit you guys. Of course, I stopped by Mom and Dad’s, too. Ren and Ran would never forgive me if I passed right by without visiting.”

“I know what you mean. Dealing with one little sibling is bad enough, but you have two of them. I’m surprised they don’t drive you crazy.”

“They’re good kids,” Makoto said fondly. “But I guess I can’t really call them kids anymore. They’ll be 17 soon!”

Damn, time sure flies. I remember when the twins were just twelve years old, when Ran has that awkward crush on me for whatever reason. She grew out of it, thank God, but now it felt like I had gained two more siblings somewhere along the way.

“I’m glad we live just around the corner,” Makoto said as he scratched behind Shiro’s ear. “Sometimes Sei’s schedule doesn’t meet up with mine, so at least I can visit my family or your guys when it gets lonely.”

“I’m glad too, because at least you’re here to drag Haru’s ass out of the office when I’m busy.”

He laughed, the sound like an angel’s song. Ugh, he was just tooth-rotteningly sweet.

“Although it’s easier said than done.”

Sora was nosing at Shiro now, but she ignored him and turned her head away like she was a queen and he was a lowly peasant. He rolled over onto his back, giving her puppy eyes with his tongue lolling out. She turned her nose up and walked away, finding a free cushion to curl up on.

“Rejected,” I said, shaking my head.

“Sei always says she’s too sassy. She acts like a princess.”

“Shiro is a queen,” came Haru’s voice.

He walked in with a towel around his neck. His hair was still damp, fresh from the bath and dressed in a different outfit. He sat and Shiro instantly hopped into his lap; Haru always was her favorite.

"Haru-chan, you spoil her too much," Makoto said with a smile.

Haru sent him a glare. "Drop the 'chan'."

I shook my head as Makoto chuckled. "It sounds like you're talking about a kid, Makoto."

Makoto blushed, scratching his chin. "Well, Kuro and Shiro are kind of like my kids."

"You should adopt your own," Haru said. "You'd be a good dad."

Makoto ducked his head, but I could see his shy smile. "Sei and I are a bit too busy with our jobs right now to think about kids."

"You'll get there one day," I said, shrugging. I threw an arm around him and ruffled his hair affectionately.

We got talking, then, discussing our shopping trips with Mom. Apparently, Makoto was a great help when it came to picking out suits, so it didn't take them as long as it did us. Lucky bastards.

"We still need to go pick up wedding bands," I said, thinking over the long list of things that still needed to be done before Spring.

"We can have Makoto come with us," Haru suggested. "We just need a date that fits with all of our schedules."

"Sosuke, too," I added.

Haru made a face, acting like he hated the idea. I rolled my eyes as Makoto thought it over.

"Well, we should do that soon," he said. "If you want a special engraving, you'll want to get this done early."

I groaned, flopping down on the ground and staring at the ceiling.

"So much damn work to plan a wedding."

"Stop complaining," Haru said. "You're the one who proposed."

"You're the one who said yes," I shot back.

"Honestly, you two are practically married already," Makoto chimed in.

I couldn't really argue with that, and I didn't have time to anyway because just then, the doorbell rang again. Exchanging a look with Haru, I dragged myself to my feet.

"I'll get it."

I made my way to the front door again, Sora hot on my heels. I wasn't sure who to expect, but I shouldn't have been surprised to open the door and find a shock of blond hair.

"Hey, Rin-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed happily. He was grinning from ear to ear, bundled up in a coat and scarf while Rei stood behind him with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Rin-san," Rei greeted. "I hope we're not intruding."

"Nah, Makoto's here too. Come on in, I guess."

I stood aside, letting them in. Nagisa immediately threw his arms around Sora, letting the dog lick his face as he laughed. Rei just shook his head at his husband as he took his coat off.

"We've got more company," I announced as we made our way back to Haru and Makoto.

“Haru-chan, Mako-chan! Hey, it’s like a party!”

“Dream on, blondie,” I said. “If you think I’m letting you strip and run wild like you did last time, you’ve got another thing coming. I’m not afraid to lock you out in the snow.”

Nagisa pouted, but I didn’t fall for it. When he saw that I wouldn’t budge, he sighed dramatically and sat down.

“You’re no fun, Rin-chan.”

“Deal with it.”

“Makoto-senpai,” Rei said, “I heard you put out an apartment fire yesterday. You weren't hurt, were you?"

"You don't need to keep calling me senpai," Makoto said. "We're not in college anymore."

Rei looked offended at the very idea. "You'll always be a senpai to me!"

Makoto laughed, resting his chin in his palm. "Well, if you say so. And the fire wasn't too bad. Someone didn't put out their cigarette, and it spread. But my team controlled it before it spread, and Sei's team dealt with the man."

Sei and Makoto really did make a good team. They made a fitting pair, a firefighter and a cop, but they worried everyday about each other's safety. Looking at Haru, I tried to imagine him in potentially dangerous situations everyday. I wouldn't be able to do it; I'd probably worry myself to death about that asshole.

"Sora-chan, you're drooling all over me," Nagisa complained. Sora had his head in his lap, looking content to slobber through the material of his pants.

Hiro was tumbling around with Kuro, playfully pinning him down while Kuro growled. Shiro's tail swished from side to side, her ear twitching every now and then as Haru stroked her fur.

Rei talked about some experiment he was working on and Makoto listened politely. Nagisa made it a point to nudge my thigh with his toe every few seconds, grinning while my eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He wiggled it against me, tickling me. Every time I moved my leg away, he would follow with his foot and tickle me more. I glared at him and he gave me a shit eating grin.

"That's it, you're going down!"

I tackled him, making Sora roll back in shock. Nagisa laughed, protecting his face as I grabbed a cushion and started hitting him with it.

"Not fair, you've got a weapon!" He shrieked. He was smaller, so he had a hard time trying to roll us over.

Instead, he let himself get hit and lowered his fingers to my side, starting a tickle attack.

"Wait, no, Nagisa!"

"You should know not to mess with me, Rin-chan!"

Sora was barking up a storm, excited to get in on the fun. I was just focused on getting Nagisa's hands off of me. I was laughing like crazy; tears were gathering in my eyes and I tried to squirm away, but no luck. I was at the mercy of a cackling blond devil.

It was the doorbell that saved me. It caught Nagisa off guard just enough for me to push him off, and I shot to my feet in an instant. On my way to the door, I threw one last pillow at him for good measure.

"Onii-chan!"

It was Gou, dressed in boots and a waist-length coat, her red hair tied up in a ponytail. I stared at her.

"Who decided it was a party at our house?"

Gou puffed out her cheeks. "I came to discuss business! You weren’t picking up the phone yesterday, so I came to you!”

I couldn’t really argue with her; I _had_ ignored her call and text, after all.

Sighing, I let her in. I hadn’t expected our post-coital bliss to be interrupted like this. The others greeted Gou enthusiastically, and she pulled Hiro into her lap as she sat down.

“Alright, Onii-chan, Haru-nii, we’ve got pictures to discuss,” she stated seriously. “I thought we should get the details out of the way now, since you’ll be busy with invitations and other things later.”

“A smart idea,” Rei said, nodding.

Well, there went my lazy day. I sat next to Haru, leaning my head on his shoulder as I waved my hand at Gou.

“So what do you wanna talk about?”

She grinned, opening the notebook I just realized she had with her. She clicked her pen and tapped the page.

“First of all, you’re welcome. If you had hired another professional photographer, it would have cost you a lot.”

She looked proud of herself, and I rolled my eyes and murmured a, “Yeah, yeah.”

“So you’re lucky you have me, who takes pictures for a living. Really nice ones, I might add. So first order of business: what exactly am I going to be taking pictures of?”

I exchanged a look with Haru. “The ceremony, first of all.”

Gou jotted that down, nodding. “Next?”

“The reception,” Haru added.

“You know,” I said, “We’re going to have to record the ceremony, too. Mom won’t let us not do it. Maybe we should skip out on the pictures and just get a video? It won’t fill up the album Haru’s sure to have, but he and Mom can watch the video whenever.”

Gou looked personally offended.

“Onii-chan! Don’t you have any faith in me? If you don’t think I can man two cameras at once, then you obviously don’t know me!” She ‘humphed’ and wrote down something else. “Now that you’ve insulted my skills, I wanted to ask if you wanted pictures of America, too. I’m going to take them anyway, for myself. But do you guys want candid pictures of you wandering the city together? I think it’ll be cute to have with the wedding photos.”

“Yes,” Haru answered immediately. He scooted closer to Gou, looking over her shoulder at the page. “And a few of just Rin, in his suit. You’ll have to corner him for those. And force him to smile. I know he’s going to scowl in them all.”

Gou gave him a double thumbs up. “You got it, Haru-nii.”

“Dammit, stop ganging up on me,” I muttered.

“You gotta have lots of pics of us, too!” Nagisa added. “Mako-chan’s Haru-chan’s best man, and Rei-chan and I are obviously the best of the groomsmen. You’ve gotta have at least as many pictures of us as you will of Rin-chan and Haru-chan!”

“Nagisa-kun, this isn’t our wedding,” Rei said, trying to get Nagisa to settle down. “This is Haruka-senpai’s and Rin-san’s time to be the main event.”

Nagisa pouted. “But we barely got any pictures for our wedding!”

“That’s because you proposed to me when we were in a different country, and we got married the next day.”

“Don’t worry, Nagisa, we’ll make sure you and Rei have a few pictures all to yourselves,” Makoto said, making Nagisa light up.

I looked back to Haru and Gou. Haru had his brows furrowed, the way he did when he was writing something that needed a lot of thought.

“Do you think I can borrow your camera to take a picture of Rin after we consummate our marriage?” Haru asked nonchalantly, his expression curious.

“Haru!” Makoto and I exclaimed at the same time, expressions horrified.

“Her camera has perfect resolution. It can capture Rin’s blissful expression and sweat-slicked body better than my phone.” He stated it matter-of-factly, as if that information was obvious and important.

“When did you get like this? You never talked about stuff like that in public when we met!”

Gou had her ears covered, shaking her head and looking scarred for life. Makoto and Rei both had flushed cheeks, and Nagisa was grinning as he clapped Haru on the back.

“You gotta share that picture with the rest of us, Haru-chan!”

Haru glared. “Only I can see Rin when he’s naked and filled with pleasure.”

“Oh my God, Haru. Shut the fuck up!”

Haru shrugged, unconcerned. He went right back to discussing photo options with Gou, whose face was bright red. I facepalmed, wondering where the innocence went.

Damn, I was gonna marry a blunt, mackerel-obsessed, sex-crazy idiot. Figures.

But really, where was the regret?

  
  
  



	4. Kids at Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planning color schemes somehow turns into a spitball fight.  
> The employees of Scarlet Ink are nothing but children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameos and Crossovers galore! Honestly, this was just me wanting to write fun times with everyone. So I hope you enjoy the antics of these boys before some serious wedding stuff happens!

“The obvious choice is red and blue.”

“But that’s so cliche for them. I like the idea of light orange.”

“But that doesn’t fit them at all! Red and blue, it has to be.”

“Nii-san! That’s not original at all!”

“Nothing’s original about these idiots anyway.”

“Hey!”

Sei grinned at the glare I shot him, swirling the straw around in his iced coffee. Who the fuck drinks iced coffee in the middle of winter?

“I still think orange is the best color to go with,” Momo said, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “I think it’ll really look nice with the cherry blossoms. Don’t you think, Ai?”

He shot a glance at Ai, who sat beside in the booth we shared. Ai, with his chin-length silver hair, gave a soft smile and nodded his head.

“It _would_ look nice,” he said, scratching his chin and thinking more about it. “It would give the ceremony a more summery, fallish kind of feel.”

“Are those even real words?” Sosuke asked from his spot across from me.

Momo shrugged, grinning broadly. “Who cares? Ai agrees with me, so it’s obviously an awesome idea! Right, Rin-senpai?”

Everyone’s attention turned to me, Sei’s gaze boring into me from my left, as if just daring me to agree with Momo and not him. Feeling the pressure from all their stares, I looked between them and sighed. Why was something as simple as deciding a color scheme so difficult?

The five of us, Sei, Momo, Ai, Sosuke, and I, were all seated at a secluded booth in the Sharkbait Cafe. Even though none of us worked here anymore, we weren’t eager to just abandon this place. The cafe held too many cherished memories to just let it go.

With Haru discussing the specifics of the photography with Gou today, I’d decided to get the guys together and see what we could make of color planning. Momo was adamant on orange, and I had to admit that a light tone of that color would look nice with the sakura trees. Sei, on the other hand, was set on red and blue, the colors that were always associated with me and Haru. He had a point, but the setup seemed too garish in my mind’s eye. Sosuke had yet to suggest something, but Ai seemed like he agreed with his boyfriend. I, for one, was at a total loss, the open notebook in front of me completely empty.

“We should think of more ideas, but right now Momo’s idea trumps yours, Sei.” I took in my friend’s offended expression and added, “Sorry.”

Sei crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, a look that didn’t really fit with a muscled 26-year-old man.

“Makoto would have agreed with me,” he mumbled.

“Ha!” Momo exclaimed, standing up and pointing a finger at his brother. “I win, Nii-san! Orange it is!”

Didn’t this little shit hear me _just_ say that we should think of more ideas? I sighed, rubbing my temples and wishing I was at Scarlet Ink right now. As much as I loved my idiot friends, I missed the whirring of the tattoo gun and the banter at the parlor.

As if to save me from the loudness of my friends for just a minute, I heard a cheery voice call out, “Rin-san!”

I swiftly got to my feet, leaving the bickering brothers to go up to the counter, where I was met with the sight of one friendly and happy expression and one extremely bored one.

Jinpachi Toudou, with his thin, arched eyebrows and black hair pulled back by his usual white headband, was wearing the customary Sharkbait Cafe apron over his clothes. He stood up straight, a charming grin on his face while he held a steaming cup of coffee out for me.

“Order up!” he said, and I took the cup from him while handing over the right amount of yen. “So, Rin-san, I was thinking that you guys should really consider getting a live band for the wedding. Or even better, someone who can play classical music! Add some more energy and style to the ceremony.”

“Toudou, you’re not even invited, stop being nosy.” the bored-looking guy, Yuusuke Makishima, said. He was slumped over the counter, his long green hair with red highlights flowing down his back.

Toudou pointed a finger straight at Makishima and declared, “Hey, if the wedding was in Japan instead of America, I’d be the _first_ one to be invited!”

Makishima and I exchanged skeptical looks.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

I grinned. The new staff of the cafe was a fun little group. One of the reasons why I loved this place was because even though the Mikoshiba’s didn’t need to keep the cafe with how rich they already were, Old Man Mikoshiba still kept it around for new college students to work at and earn some money while they started to become independent. Toudou, now 20, joined the staff two years and dragged along his friend (ha, friend, _right_ ), Makishima, too. We got to know them pretty well, considering how we came to the cafe at least once a week. It was still Haru’s favorite place to write, and I’d tag along sometimes to do some sketching.

“Maki-chan, if anyone wouldn’t be invited, it would be you,” Toudou shot back, eyeing the sleeve of Makishima’s brightly patterned shirt. “With the way you dress, no one would even be able to focus on the grooms. They’d just stare at your ridiculous outfit the whole time.”

Makishima raised a brow. “Tch. Your headbands are the real disaster here.”

Toudou gaped, placing a hand over his heart. “My headbands are a fashion statement! Just ask my fan club, they’re stylish _and_ practical.”

“You know, I wouldn’t invite either of you,” I cut in. “The whole thing will be loud enough with Nagisa and Momo. I don’t need to hear you yelling ‘Maki-chan’ to mix in with the yells of ‘Rei-chan’.”

Makishima snickered while Toudou looked offended. I flashed him a smirk before turning on my heel and heading back to my booth.

“You’re the one who’d miss out on the fabulousness!” Toudou called from behind me.

I slid into my spot next to Sei, blowing on my coffee to cool it down a little. He and Momo had stopped arguing, and Ai perked up when he saw me.

“Since you’re planning on having sakura trees, how about having pink roses as centerpieces for the tables at the reception?” Ai suggested. He turned his phone around to show me a picture of soft pink roses. “Light colors would be best, I think. You and Haruka-san are like bright sparks of colors yourselves. You, with your red hair and tattoos, would pop out in a background of soft pastels. Haruka-san would fit in the theme because he’s like a softer side to your presence, and it would show that despite being charged and heated, your love is also soft and caring.”

We all stared at Ai for a moment, too stunned to say anything.

“Er,” I started, blinking. “You know, that’s actually a good idea. I never knew you were so good with words, Ai. Here, write all that down so I can show Haru later.”

Blushing, Ai took the notebook from me and starting scribbling down what he just said.

“If we’re going with soft colors,” Sosuke said, eyes roaming over the interior of the cafe, “How about soft shades of green and blue? Haru loves the ocean, right? It could symbolize the sea and reference the Sharkbait Cafe, where you two first met.”

I gulped down a mouthful of my drink, looking around at the others.

“Fuck, I’m so glad I’m getting help from you guys,” I said, letting my gratefulness show in my tone. “I’d be fucked if I had to come up with all of this on my own.”

“No problem, Rin-senpai!” Momo said, giving me a thumbs up.

“Makoto would have helped too, but he’s taking more shifts are the fire department to make up for the time we’ll be in America,” Sei added.

“You know we’re always here for you, senpai,” Ai said with a smile.

My gaze shifted to Sosuke sitting across from me. He rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

“As if we’d leave you and Nanase to decide everything yourselves,” he muttered. “You’d probably never stop arguing about what kind of font to put on the invitations.”

I felt my lips stretch into a broad smile; fuck, where would I be without these guys? I could only hope they knew how much I loved them, because I was horrible at saying it.

“Well, let’s see what else we can get done while we’re at it,” I said, pulling the notebook back towards me. “Weddings are a pain in the ass.”

We started discussing the location of the ceremony and reception, and I admitted that I didn’t actually know much about it. My old friends in the States were looking into that for me and I hoped he was making some headway with it. Speaking of, I figured it would be best to just shoot him a call to find out. It wasn’t like it was too late over there.

I told the others I’d be right back, and I stepped outside in the snow as I pulled my phone out. I dialed the number I had memorized and held the phone to my ear, hearing it ring.

“Hey, Rin!” A voice in English greeted me after the third ring.

“Yo, Eren,” I replied, picturing bright turquoise eyes and messy brown hair. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good, but Levi’s being a dick. He kicked me out of bed because I had cat hair on my shirt. It’s not my fault Captain’s shedding everywhere!”

He sounded like he was pouting, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. It sounded like their cat, Captain, was being a cockblock, considering what a clean freak Levi was.

“Shouldn’t you know better by now to not have a speck of dust on you if you’re going to be near your husband?” I asked lightly.

“I’d hoped he woulda made an exception for me by now,” he mumbled.

Laughing, I remembered the reason for my call in the first place. I leaned against the wall of the cafe, stuffing a hand into my pocket.

“By the way, I just called to ask if you guys have found any good locations for the ceremony,” I said. “It’d be best to reserve it a couple of months ahead of time.”

“Ooh, yeah!” Eren exclaimed, sounding excited. “You’re lucky my friend Krista is a wedding planner, because she suggested just the place. Trost Central Park is amazing; it has a huge fountain, and lucky for you, it’s full of cherry blossom trees! They’ll be in full bloom in the beginning of April, so we can have the place cleared for the date you guys choose.”

I grinned, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

“That sounds perfect. Could you send me some pictures? I’m sure Mom and Haru would want to see them in advance.”

“‘Course, no problem. I’ll take some tomorrow after work and send them. Oh, and Krista wanted me to give you her number; she knows everything there is to know about weddings, so she’ll be a big help.”

“That’ll make Mom easier to handle,” I mused. “Thanks, Eren. This would have been so much harder without you.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. Just make sure to invite my friends to the wedding, too. Hanji hasn’t stopped bugging me about it.”

I didn’t know who this Hanji person was, but I felt like inviting Eren’s closest friends was the least I could do to repay him for helping me out.

“Alright, we can do that,” I agreed. “Text me their names and email addresses, and we’ll send them digital invites.”

“You got it!”

From somewhere off the line, I heard a familiar voice say, “Oi brat, did you change out of that shirt yet?”

“Jeez Levi, you locked me out of the room! How am I supposed to get a new shirt when I can’t get to the closet?”

Faintly, I heard Levi purr, “Maybe you should have just gotten naked.”

“Okay!” I interrupted, before I ended up listening to something I really didn’t want to hear. “Thanks for the help, Eren. Remember to send the info and pictures, and I’ll talk to you later!”

After hanging up the phone, I ducked back into the cafe, sighing in relief when the warm air hit my cold cheeks. I relayed the info back to the guys, and we continued with our detail planning. Of course, planning turned into just fooling around. Sei, the overgrown child he was, decided to make spitballs with a piece of paper he tore out of my notebook. Using the straw from his coffee, he shot the spitballs at Momo, Sosuke, and I, Ai somehow being spared his wrath. At one point, I shoved Sei hard enough for him to fall back across the booth seat, where he was promptly bombarded by spitballs in revenge.

When Toudou caught us, we were scolded and told to clean up the mess we made. We did so, despite Sosuke’s grumbling and Sei’s attempts to keep going. Once that was done, I decided that there was no way we would be getting anything else done, so we decided to end things there for the day. We hung out at the cafe for a while longer, enjoying our time together. We were still a tight knit group despite our jobs, and the original Sharkbait Crew was hard to separate once they were together.

Eventually, Momo and Ai had to head back to animal shelter Ai’s parents were looking over for the day. They bid their farewells and went on their way, and Sosuke announced that he was going to the library to check out some art book Keiji wanted. That left just me and Sei standing out in the snow, and I turned to him, offering the spare helmet on my bike.

“Heading home?” I asked.

He nodded, taking the helmet from me. “I think I’ll cook something special for Makoto today. He’s been really busy lately, I think he deserves a strawberry shortcake tonight.”

I made a face at that, slipping my own red helmet on. “I really hope that’s not a euphemism for some kinky shit you do.”

I climbed onto my bike with Sei settling in behind me, one strong arm coming up wrap around my middle. I revved up the engine, feeling the familiar hum of the bike beneath me. With Sei holding onto me tight, I pushed off and shot down the street,the scenery flying by.

“Whooo!” I heard Sei yell from behind me. He was barely holding on to me with just one hand, and I could practically feel his other one in the air, as if he was on a roller coaster.

“Idiot, hold on tight!” I shouted over my shoulder.

I knew he heard me, but the reckless asshole only clutched my shirt tighter with that one hand.

I just barely kept myself from rolling my eyes. With a smile concealed by my helmet, I weaved in between cars, Sei’s laughter filling my ears the whole way.

...o0o...

I was bent over my desk at Scarlet Ink, sketching furiously before the idea left my mind. So far, the image looked like a wave of lava, molten and steaming. As my wrist moved in smooth motions, my foot tapped along to the song playing in the parlor, the voices of the others white noise in the background. I was in my zone, the lines forming practically by themselves.

And then, of course, the little bell above the entrance jingled and interrupted the flow.

“Oi, Bakagami!” A low voice called out, making everyone’s attention turn to the glass doors.

With my thought process interrupted and my flow ruined, I decided to take a short break and roll my chair out of my cubicle to witness the oncoming banter.

Kagami, who was working on a sketch of his own, looked up with an irritated expression.

“What do you want, Ahomine?” He said, locking eyes with the newcomer.

Daiki Aomine, with his deep blue hair and dark skin, strolled into the parlor as if it was his kingdom. His boyfriend, Ryouta Kise, trailed behind him, a dazzling smile on his face to compliment his blond hair and perfect features.

“I have an appointment with you, dipshit,” Aomine stated, and I swore I could see the vein popping in Kagami’s temple.

“Well excuse me for trying to block out the impending doom of having to see your ugly mug.”

Aomine scowled, stepping right up to Kagami. Kagami got to his feet, standing toe to toe with Aomine.

“Have you looked in a mirror lately, asshole?” Aomine asked, his nose just inches away from Kagami’s.

“Yeah, and all I saw was handsome guy staring back at me,” Kagami shot back.

“Takaochii!” Kise greeted happily, completely ignoring the fight his boyfriend was picking. He went right up the reception counter and bumped fists with Takao. “It feels like it’s been forever since I was here for myself.”

“I know, right?!” Takao responded, looking excited. “I can’t believe your agency’s finally letting you get another piercing!”

I observed the conversations with amusement. Imayoshi rolled up beside me, sitting backwards on his chair. Hyuuga rolled up on my other side, watching silently for now.

“It’s always fun watching those two interact,” Imayoshi said, watching with a smile.

I had to agree. It was always the funniest shit whenever Kagami and Aomine started to bicker. Aomine was old friends with Kagami; they knew each other from when Kagami played basketball, before his knee injury stopped him from playing professionally. Aomine was now on Japan’s national team, but he still kept up with Kagami as much as he could. Kise, who was talking animatedly with Takao, was a popular model. He had a single silver hoop through his left earlobe, and it seemed like he was finally allowed to get another piercing. Modeling didn’t let him do many changes to his body, so I could understand his excitement.

“You’ll miss your appointment time if you keep fighting, Aomine-kun.”

Everyone jumped, only now noticing the the head of light blue hair by Kagami’s side.

“Kuroko, I’ve told you to _stop_ that!” Kagami exclaimed, having jumped away from his phantom boyfriend.

“I’ve been here this whole time, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko said nonchalantly.

Aomine grinned, pulling Kuroko into a headlock.

“Hey, Tetsu!” He said, ruffling Kuroko’s hair. “Why do you still hang out with this guy?”

“Despite his looks, he’s actually very sweet and innocent,” Kuroko stated while Kagami gaped.

“Oi, stop talking about me as if I’m not here! Ahomine, get your ass in my cubicle, and we’ll go over the tattoo.”

Aomine shrugged, slipping off his hoodie. He was wearing a black tank top underneath, and I could see his already existing tattoo on the bicep of his right arm. It was a detailed basketball with the words “Ball is Life” curving around the front. I shook my head; that guy was a complete basketball nut.

I remembered Kagami talking about this tattoo this past week. It was one of his bigger projects, since Aomine wanted a black panther to cover the entire length of his back. I could only hope that Kagami wouldn’t become too annoyed and mess the ink up on purpose.

Kise was taking his coat and shirt off right along with his boyfriend. That made me curious; I wondered what piercing he’d be getting.

“Are you getting your bellybutton pierced?” I asked, laughing softly.

Kise winked at me from across the room. “My nipple, actually. Aominecchi likes to play with them a lot, and I like the look of it.”

Well, okay. More information that I really needed, but whatever.

Takao, the designated piercer of the parlor, switched places with Midorima as he got his equipment ready. As the others got to work, Imayoshi nudged me with his toe.

“I’ll race you to the other side of the parlor,” he challenged, rolling forward and backward on his chair.

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Do you really think you can beat me?”

“Hey, you guys aren’t kids,” Hyuuga reprimanded. “This is a professional place, dammit. Act like it.”

“Extra points to whoever can tackle Midorima,” Imayoshi added with a smile.

Hyuuga’s eyebrow twitched. He faced forward with a straight face, resting his front against the backrest of the chair.

“On three,” he said, and I grinned.

We all got ready, feet planted firmly on the ground as we clutched the backs of our chairs.

“One...two...three!”

Midorima’s head snapped up at the final number, eyes widening from behind his glasses. Imayoshi, Hyuuga, and I shot forward, my feet giving me a good kick off. I rolled fast and in a perfect line, my hair fluttering around my face.

“I swear, if you fuck it up…” I head Aomine saying as I rolled past Kagami’s cubicle.

I saw Imayoshi roll ahead of me in my peripheral vision, and I gave myself an extra kick to gain speed. The length of the parlor wasn’t that great, so Midorima barely had time to register what was going on before we were right on top of him.

Hyuuga was the one to crash into him in the end. Imayoshi and I just barely stopped ourselves from face planting into the wall. Midorima, the poor guy, was taken down in a flash of rolling wheels and glasses, a startled “Ah!” leaving his lips as both he and Hyuuga went crashing down.

“I’d give that one to Hyuuga,” I said, standing from my seat and peering over the counter. Midorima and Hyuuga lay in a tangle of limbs on the ground.

“He hit the mark straight on,” Imayoshi agreed, grinning when Midorima raised his head to send him a deathly glare.

“You’re a menace,” Midorima declared, unceremoniously shoving a victorious Hyuuga off him and fixing his glasses. “Why I work here with you people, I don’t know.”

“Aw come on, you love us,” I teased, extending a hand to help Hyuuga up. He accepting and got to his feet, placing his own glasses back on his nose.

Midorima scoffed. “Hardly. It seems my physical well being suffers along with my sanity, now.”

“What do you mean? You never had any sanity to begin with,” Imayoshi said, and I high-fived him.

Watching Midorima’s face twist in distaste was probably one of the things that made life worth living.

From that point on, the parlor was filled with arguments and cheery laughter. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t really focus on my sketch anymore. I couldn’t help being drawn into the fun atmosphere, contributing my own antics to the madness that was Scarlet Ink.

Just another day in my life, I guess.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Toudou and Makishima.


	5. I Love You a Latte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin, Haru, Sosuke, and Makoto go ring shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the shorter chapters, but life's been a bit busy this week! And thanks to everyone for leaving comments and kudos, they really mean a lot! Replying to each comment gets a little difficult, but be assured that I do read them all when I can and appreciate them!!  
> With that said, I hope you guys like the chapter :D  
> (also, click the link that says 'band' to see their rings!"

January was coming to a close, but snow still littered the ground. It blanketed the streets and rooftops in a shade of pure while, making the world seem brighter. It was a beautiful time of year, I thought; my breath fogging in front of my face, the crunching beneath my feet, the way everything had a sort of glow to it.

"It's Bob's cousin," Haru said from my right.

I gave him a confused look. "What?"

Haru pointed to something to up ahead. I followed his line of sight and saw a couple of kids playing in the snow. They were bundled up in jackets and scarves, and they seemed to be putting the finishing touches on a slightly lopsided snowman.

"He didn't live for very long, but I'll always remember Bob," Haru said solemnly.

That sparked something in my mind, and the memories came flooding back. A snowball fight, a disfigured snowman, a first kiss in the snow. I grinned, remembering that day all those years ago. Haru was looking at me with a kind of fondness that he only reserved for me. Watching those kids happily gush over their creation, I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, Bob was a special snowman," I agreed.

Haru hid a smile behind his scarf. Taking his hand in mine, I laced our fingers together. Fuck everyone else, I was feeling sentimental and I was going to hold Haru's hand in public, dammit.

"So, where exactly are we meeting Sosuke and Makoto?" I asked to keep myself from being too sappy.

"I think it's just up ahead. Makoto gave very specific directions."

Sure enough, a couple of blocks later, I saw two very familiar figures standing in front of a shop. Makoto and Sosuke were chatting easily, leaned up against the wall of the store. Sosuke was smiling softly, nodding along to whatever Makoto was saying, and Makoto's own smile was as defined as ever.

"I honestly think she still has a little crush on Rin," Makoto was saying. "She denies it, of course, but she gets all sparkly-eyes whenever his name comes up."

"What was that?" I asked suspiciously as Haru and I walked up to them.

The two of them looked over, and Makoto chuckled in amusement.

"Nothing, nothing," he said, waving the conversation away. "So anyway! I'm really excited about this. Are you guys ready?"

Haru only nods, peeking through the window of the jewelry store in curiosity.

"Let's get inside, I'm freezing out here," I added, and the four of us stepped through the door and into the warmth of the shop.

It was a pretty decent sized place; there were glass display cases showing off gold necklaces and studded bracelets, lights shining bright in each case to make the pieces clearly visible. The place wasn't very busy, with only one other couple arguing amongst themselves over something while an employee looked on helplessly. Our shoes squeaked against the wooden floors as we approached the the glass counter. A haughty looking woman with sleek black hair and a sharp nose instantly approached us from the other side, no doubt an employee who was supposed to help us out.

"How may I help you?" The woman - Onoda, her name tag read - asked stiffly. She was the exact opposite of 'service with a smile,' what with how her attempted smile looked more like a scowl.

Her eyes immediately narrowed on my face, no doubt taking in my piercings. Her scowl deepened with each silver stud she saw on my face, and then deepened further when she caught sight of the tattoo under my jacket sleeve. Well, someone was obviously judgemental.

"We're here to look at wedding bands," Makoto said, smiling serenely. Onoda's sharp gaze immediately turned to him, and her expression softened the slightest bit. "My friends here are getting married, and they'd like something nice to be able to exchange. I heard this was just the place to come to."

I smirked inwardly. That's it, Makoto, lay on the butter with that smile. I could tell that Onoda didn't take too kindly to the thought of two guys tying the knot, but Makoto's gentle smile and the prospect of paying customers kept her from saying anything.

"Wedding bands," Onoda repeated, turning and opening one of the cabinets on the wall behind her. "I suppose you only want to see the men's variety?"

Her tone made my hackles rise, and even Sosuke glared at her back. I held my tongue, though. The faster we picked something out, the faster we'd be able to leave.

Onoda set a wooden box down on the counter. The four of us leaned closer to get a better look, spotting gold bands shimmering in the light. They were simple, some silver with a single small gen inlaid in them. Others were just plain gold bands. Haru and I exchanged looks; we were obviously thinking the same thing.

"Too plain," we said at the same time.

I grinned at him, bumping my shoulder against his. Onoda looked scandalized.

"Then they're perfect," Sosuke said, shrugging. "Plain and nothing special, just like Nanase."

Haru glared at him. "When you get married, you should just get Sora to crap on your finger. A piece of shit, just like your personality, Yamazaki."

I let out a bark of laughter, and Makoto slapped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. While Onoda looked at us like we were hoodlums that had simply no place in her pristine shop, Makoto pulled himself together and turned on the charm again.

"Could we look at some other choices?" He asked, ignoring Haru and Sosuke, who were scowling at each other. "Maybe something a bit more unique?"

Sighing, Onoda closed the lid of the box and stowed it away. She looked so done with us already; talk about bad customer service. She set down three more boxes, lifting the lid of the first.

These were a bit better. As I skimmed over the array of rings sitting the box, I caught sight of bright gemstones. A silver band had a square blue gem twinkling in the center. It reminded me of Haru's eyes.

"Too flashy," Haru said. He was eyeing the same ring as I was.

I hummed in agreement, looking over the other choices.

"How about this one?" Sosuke chimed in. He pointed to a silver band off to the side. The center of the ring was a strip of smooth silver expanding all around the band, but the outer edges were lined with small diamonds. They twinkled and caught our eyes in a trance. It wasn't too simple or too over the top, and it was honestly beautiful.

"Wow..." Makoto said in awe. Looking to Onoda for permission, he gingerly lifted the ring from its spot in the case and surveyed it closer. "It's really pretty. Haru, why don't you try it on and see how it looks?"

Haru stepped closer, raising his right hand since his left already adorned his engagement ring. I took the band from Makoto and carefully slipped it onto Haru's ring finger. It was a little big for Haru's slender finger, but it really did look pretty on his pale skin. Taking the ring off, Haru took my left hand and slipped it onto my finger. It looked just as good on me, the metal cool against my skin.

"This one's a possibility," I decided, earning a nod from Haru.

We didn't want to be too hasty, in case we found something better. That ring was set aside, and we went back to going over the rest. They were all pretty eye catching in their own ways. Some were more masculine in the way they had broad bands and square surfaces. Others were more subtle and elegant, usually with white gemstones and intricate carvings. Onoda droned on about the appeal of a few of them: what made them comfortable to wear and what made them stand out. She was doing her job as a saleswoman, but she seemed way too annoyed. Honestly, I wished she'd just shut up so we could browse in peace.

“Do you want a design on the band itself, or just gems?” Sosuke asked us, picking up a ring and examining it in his fingers.

“Whichever, really,” I answered. “I think this is one of those things that has to speak to us.”

Sosuke hummed in response, moving over to the second box to look there. Beside me, Haru and Makoto were doing that weird silent communication thing they do. Haru would tilt his head and Makoto would nod, as if answering some unspoken question. I shook my head and ignored them; I had a feeling I’d never understand those two.

Haru was picky, to say the least. He was usually passive when it came to most things, but it seemed that sweaters and rings were something he had to make sure were absolutely perfect. He’d give a curt ‘no’ if something didn’t suit his tastes, then move on to the next one. Onoda ended up having to bring out three more boxes of rings when Haru wasn’t satisfied with the existing choices. Makoto and Sosuke worked diligently to help us choose, and Onoda seemed to realize that we weren’t paying any attention to her and just huffed a breath haughtily.

“ _Rin_.” Haru’s awed voice drew my attention, and I looked over. He was staring at a ring in one of the boxes, eyes transfixed.

The three of us moved over to where he stood and peered at the [band](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/62/33/ef/6233ef333a535cdb40a8b321b4fd0dde.jpg) that had caught his eye. Slowly, he lifted it out of its place in the box and held it up. The band itself was silver and wide. All around the edges were designs that looked like waves, curling in and slightly raised to give the ring texture. Between the waves were small, sparkling blue sapphire stones that curved to fit the smooth spaces devoid of the etched designs. They reminded me of water, in a way.

Taking the ring into my own hand, I couldn’t help but think that this was exactly us.

I took Haru’s right hand and slipped the ring onto his finger. This one would need some size adjusting too, but it looked amazing and unique. More than the ring itself, Haru’s expression was the most beautiful. His lips were stretched in a broad smile, eyes glued on the ring, and he shifted his hand to look at the ring from all sides.

Haru looked up to me, then, asking me a silent question.

I grinned. “I think we found what we were looking for.”

Haru nodded happily, and Sosuke and Makoto took turns looking at the ring for themselves.

“It’s like a theme,” Makoto said, passing the ring to Sosuke. “Haru’s engagement ring is different,, but it has waves on it, too. It’s different from the usual types, too.” He smiled softly, looking between us. “I think it suits you guys.”

“With as much as Haru obsesses over the ocean, I’d think you two would want to get married in the water,” Sosuke commented. “Imagine that: no suits or complicated dresses, just everyone in their swim suits, knee deep in the water.”

A glassy look came over Haru’s eyes, and I shook him a little to snap him out of it.

“Oi, don’t give him any ideas,” I said. “Besides, do you really think Mom would let her only son get married in his legskins? I mean, that’s a great image, but still.”

Laughing, I slid the ring we picked out across the counter to Onoda.

“We want this one,” I said, and she took it with a look that said ‘Finally. Now get out of my shop before you taint it further.’

She seemed to suck it up, though, and gave us a smile. More like a grimace, but she was making progress.

“I’ll need to measure your fingers to get your sizes,” Onoda said. “Would you like anything engraved on the inside?”

Haru and I looked at each other, then answered at the same time. “Yes.”

She looked at us expectantly, and I blanched, not having actually thought it out before speaking.

“Uh, well…” I looked to Haru for help. “You’re the writer, you think of something.”

Haru gave me an unamused look. “Something meaningful. Simple, but something that sums up our relationship, or that’s special to us.”

“‘You’re an idiot’,” Sosuke suggested. He shrugged when we looked at him. “What? Haru’s always saying that to you, Rin.”

Giving him the finger, I looked to Makoto instead. The angel would have something better, I was sure.

“‘Don’t track in mud’?” Makoto suggested with a slight grin. “I’ve heard Haru say that a lot, too.”

“You’re both assholes,” I concluded. Haru seemed to be thinking hard, and I focused on him as I let my mind wander.

Something that had meaning to us…

When we first met, I thought Haru was adorable, what with his oversized sweater and pretty blue eyes. I remembered trying to impress him with my latte art, and how he told me about his passions the first time we ever talked. I remembered staining and tearing up his sweater, and buying him a new one as an apology.  Really, all of this started over coffee and sweaters, and the thought made me smile.

“How about…” I started, making everyone look at me. I grinned, tugging on the hem of Haru’s sweater gently. “‘I Love You a Latte.’”

Haru let out a breath of laughter, shaking his head fondly. “So cheesy, Rin. But I can’t say I don’t love it.”

Ignoring Sosuke’s groan of how sappy we were, I wrote down the phrase for Onoda and handed it over. She then measured our ring fingers, jotting down the measurements. With that done, she practically shooed us out of the shop, telling us we could pick up our rings in a week’s time.

With my arm around Haru’s shoulders, we stepped out into the bustling city again. I felt a lightness in my heart, and though the air was cold, Haru’s body was warm next to mine. Acting on impulse, I grabbed Haru by the waist and spun him around, pressing his back against the wall of the building.

“We’re gonna get married,” I whispered, nose to nose with him. I was wearing a goofy smile, and my chest was practically pressed up against his.

“I thought we’d established that months ago,” Haru said with a little laugh.

I shook my head, touching my forehead to his. “Yeah, but it actually feels real now. We’ve got our suits, we’ve got our rings. Now we just need to make it official.”

“Just two more months, Rin. And then you can finally brag to your coworkers about your husband.”

“As if I don’t brag about my fiance already.” I pecked his nose, wrapping my arms around him. “I really can’t wait to marry you.”

I caught sight of his smile before I kissed him, our lips pressing together softly and heating me up from the inside. Haru tilted his head to the side slightly to deepen the kiss, and a jolt ran through my body when I felt his tongue pressing against the seam of my lips. I let him in without hesitation, sliding my own tongue against his. While he explored my mouth, his hands slid up my back and clutched at my clothing, pulling me closer and sliding a thigh between my legs. A whimper escaped my throat at the feeling, and then I was practically devouring his mouth with how rough I was kissing him. I was biting at his lips, sucking on his tongue, and my fingers slid under his sweater to feel his heated skin beneath my palms. Haru let out the softest of moans, his legs quivering.

It was rough and heated, and I forgot all about where I was and everything around me as I fucked his mouth with my tongue.

That is, until a snowball hit me square on the back of my head.

“Oi, we’re in public, idiots!”

Sosuke’s voice drew me out of my haze, and I pulled back from Haru with a gasp. His face was flushed and his eyes were hazy as he panted for breath. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Sosuke scowling at us and Makoto looking anywhere but at the spot where we stood, ears pink.

“You didn’t have to throw snow at me!” I countered, rubbing my hair. “That shit’s cold, you know.”

Sosuke rolled his eyes. “I called your name like ten times. Stop making out and let’s go home already. I’ve got things to do.”

“Things like Keiji, I’m sure,” I muttered under my breath, taking Haru’s hand and pulling him off the wall.

He seemed to have recovered a bit, but he was looking at me with an intense look in his eyes.

 _We’re finishing this when we get home,_ it seemed to say.

Blushing at the lust clear on his face, I pulled him along and followed after our friends, Makoto making awkward small talk in an attempt to change the charged atmosphere.

Honestly, I just wanted to get home and make good on Haru’s suggestive promises already.


	6. A Spanking Good Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin had a bad day at work, so Haru, being the loving fiance that he is, makes him forget all about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut is not my strong suit. But here is chapter 7, a little late, but I struggled with this one  
> (P.S. Just a little warning for some light bdsm in this chapter. Can it be considered light? I apologize im not very educated on the kinky stuff)

The door snapped shut behind me as I stepped inside, toeing off my shoes and shrugging my leather jacket off. With a huff of breath, I blew a lock of hair out of my face.

"I'm home," I grumbled.

The scent of cooking food was rich in the air, but all I could focus on was my bad mood.

"Welcome back," Haru called from the kitchen.

I followed his voice to find him stirring a pot on the stove. He had his back turned to me, but looked over his shoulder when he heard my footsteps approach. I walked up behind him, wrapping my arms around his apron-clad waist and rested my chin on his shoulder.

"Smells good," I mumbled.

He hummed in response, turning his head to give me a kiss in greeting. When we pulled apart, he took a second to look into my eyes before turning back to the stove.

"What's wrong?" Haru asked.

I let myself smile a little at that. Somehow, Haru was always able to pick on my mood and know instantly if something was bothering me. I let out another annoyed sigh.

"I had one hell of a client today," I told him. "He was an asshole. You know that design I've been working on for the past two weeks? The one with the eagle? Well, Asshole-san decided that he didn't like the eagle’s talons. And then he went on to say he didn’t like the positioning, when he was the one to ask for a frontal view in the first place. He bashed on everything about it, and then denied ever requesting those specifics when I showed him the notes I took the first time he came in to tell me what he wanted. So basically, I have to redraw the whole thing and hope he likes it next time.”

I was pouting by the end of my explanation, my voice muffled because my face was buried in the crook of Haru’s neck. I felt warm fingers running through my hair and pressed myself closer to him.

“You should have told Nagisa about it,” Haru mused. “He would have left a little surprise for that client.”

I smiled at that. “We want our clients to come back, not tell all their friends that they’re going to find cockroaches in their cereal if they don’t like our designs.”

Haru scoffed, turning the stove off and giving the pot one last stir. “That client said a lot more than that. It’s obvious it’s been bothering you all day.”

I reluctantly stepped away to let him get the plates. “Yeah… Maybe I should have let Nagisa get revenge for me.”

He smiled, motioning towards the sitting area. “Wash your hands and have a seat. Dinner’s ready.”

I did as I was told, sitting on one of the cushions at the table. Hiro came slinking over, the bell on his collar jingling as he curled up next to my thigh. Haru set down two plates of rice and curry before taking a seat himself.

"Thanks for the food," I said, before digging in.

Needless to say, it was delicious. Haru always was a great cook. After spending most of the day fuming and muttering curses under my breath, it was nice to have a hot meal and a loving fiance to come home to. When we were done, I moved to take our dishes to the sink to wash them. Haru got to them before me, shaking his head and collecting our plates.

"I'll take care of it," he said, not letting me protest. "Go take a shower and unwind." His eyes narrowed slightly and his voice became sultry and filled with promises. "When you're done, you can get on the bed. Hands and knees, Rin."

He left me standing there breathless. I swallowed, inhaling deeply and turning on my heel to go up the stairs on wobbly legs.

I could only imagine what was to come.

When I reached the bathroom, I stripped off my Scarlet Ink shirt and slipped off my jeans, letting them fall to the floor. I stepped under the shower head and adjusted the temperature. The stream of hot water was soothing after such a long day. More than anything, the look in Haru's eye was what made everything better. I was excited for what was to come, and I scrubbed myself clean quickly.

Judging by Haru's words, I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen. With that thought in mind, I leaned against the wall of the shower and spread my legs. I might as well make the job easier for him.

Lathering my fingers up with soap, I slowly circled the rim of my entrance. My breath caught in my throat as I slipped the first finger inside. Exhaling steadily, I moved the finger in and out, opening myself up. A second finger joined the first soon enough. I scissored and thrusted the two fingers in and out, crooking them and making sure I could take another.

The third finger was a tight fit; it had been a while since I bottomed. When I decided I was ready enough, I slipped the fingers out and straightened up, my knees a little weak. I wasn't surprised at all to find my cock half hard.

Shutting off the water, I reached for the towel and started drying off. I wondered if I should put on my bathrobe, but decided against it. I was going to be taking it off soon anyway. With just the towel around my waist, I made my way down the hall and to our bedroom. The towel fell from my hips as I climbed onto the middle of the bed on my hands and knees. I felt so exposed like this, with my ass in the air and put on display for Haru.

It was a good couple of minutes before I heard the sound of Haru coming into the room and shutting the door behind him. I stayed still as he came up behind me, a shiver running down my spine when he slid a palm down my back.

"Beautiful," he murmured. The mattress dipped with his weight as he kneeled beside me. "Such a good boy, Rin. Following orders so well."

My eyes fluttered closed; his praise was sending heat straight to my groin.

"I'll make you forget all about today," Haru whispered close to my ear, his breath hot. "Would you like that, Rin?"

"Yes," I breathed, fingers clenching the sheets.

With that answer, Haru moved away, opening the bottom drawer of the nightstand and rustling around in it. Excitement shot through me; I knew what was in that drawer, and all the fun that came with it.

Haru leaned back over me with his front to my back. He had a pair of fuzzy handcuffs in his hands (a gift from Nagisa). He cuffed one of my wrists and looped the other through the space in the headboard, then cuffed my other wrist as well. I tugged on them to test them out and found that I couldn't move my arms at all.

The excitement was building with each passing second.

Haru then dangled a long strip of black cloth in front of my face.

"What's the word, Rin?" He asked gently.

The word. Right, the safe word we had set up for when things got a bit rougher. I tried to gather my thoughts as I stared longingly at the cloth.

"S-Scarlet," I stuttered out, watching as Haru took the cloth in both hands and brought it up to my eyes.

"Good boy," Haru praised, tying the blindfold just tight enough over my eyes, cutting off my sight. "Remember that, okay?"

I nodded, letting myself relax. With my sight gone, I only had my hearing and touch to rely on to know what Haru was doing. I heard some more rustling, and then I felt Haru's presence behind me. I waited in anticipation for the first touch.

It had taken us a little while to get this level of trust, to the point where I could be bound and blindfolded and not be tense or worried. Now, I trusted Haru completely and was ready for the pleasure that was sure to come.

The first touch was gentle. Haru's fingers trailed down my spine, marking the path for his lips. He pressed a kiss between my shoulder blades and steadily moved lower. When he reached my hips, his licked and nipped on either side, dragging his tongue slowly down to the cleft of my ass. My hands clenched into fists as I felt his breath ghost over my entrance.

The first lick had the breath stuttering out of my lungs. His tongue, hot and wet, lapped over my hole and drew a whine from my throat. Haru teased me with little kitten licks, holding my thighs and I tried to move and get more.

"Come on, stop teasing," I moaned, trying to shove my ass back on his face.

My whole body jolted when a hand came down to smack my right cheek. I sucked in a breath, mouth dropping open as a thrill shot through me.

"Be patient, Rin," Haru ordered, his voice low.

I whimpered but complied. Stilling my hips, I rested my forehead against the mattress and focused on the lingering sting on my asscheek.

"Did you already prepare yourself?" Haru asked, and I felt his hands spreading my cheeks apart. "You're already nice and open for me."

"I thought I'd speed things up," I said. I spread my legs open wider in invitation, hoping that Haru would stop teasing soon and actually do something. My cock was hanging hard and heavy between my legs.

Haru hummed in response, and then gave no warning as he dove back in with his tongue. He licked and sucked on my hole like it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted. With a firm grip on my ass, he circled his tongue around the rim of entrance before slipping it inside. I groaned at the slick feeling of it wriggling around inside, aching to touch my neglected cock.

Haru thrust his tongue in and out shallowly, and then shoved the whole thing in and grazed his teeth against my rim.

"Oh, fuck!" I moaned, tugging futilely at the cuffs binding my wrists. With one more loud suck, Haru pulled his mouth off my hole. I whined in protest, wanting more, needing _something_ to help ease the burning arousal in my gut.

The snick of a lube cap opening reached my ears. I strained my ears to try and decipher what was going on, but could only hear Haru shifting on the bed. A second later, slick fingers their way to my entrance. One slipped in, feeling around, and was soon joined by a second. I was already prepared from my shower earlier and took the digits easily.

A moan slipped through my lips; this was taking too long and felt so good, I wanted him to hurry up already. With a shushing sound, Haru slipped in a third finger and crooked them.

"Ah!" My prostate was hit dead on, the heat of pleasure surging through every inch of my body. He pressed against that spot relentlessly, and my knees started to quiver from the sensations running through me.

"Please, Haru," I begged desperately. I could feel precome dripping from the head of my cock. At moments like these, I didn't care how I looked or sounded; I'd beg if it meant that Haru would fill me up with his cock and fuck me senseless.

Another slap across my ass had me whining low in my throat.

"What did I tell you about patience?" Haru asked, rubbing over the spot he had hit.

"Sorry, _fuck,_ " I apologized. I wasn't sure if I wanted to misbehave some more to get him to spank me again, or if I should be good and see what he had in store for me.

"It's alright. I promised I'd make it good for you, and I will."

I heard rustling again, and a moment later, something smooth and hard was pressing against my hole. It felt completely different from Haru's cock, too cold to be flesh.

Slowly, Haru pushed the item inside me and I held my breath as it slid deeper inch by inch.

"Breathe," Haru murmured, his lips inches from my ear.

I gasped in a lungful of air just as the item was pushed fully inside me. I could feel it clearly; the shape of it was familiar, no doubt the dildo that Haru and I used sometimes. It was nice and thick, filling me up so good. I was sucking in quick breaths at this point, squirming and tugging on the cuffs.

"Hmm... What setting should we start with?" Haru wondered aloud, and then my hips jerked forward as the toy started vibrating inside me.

"Oh fuck!" I cursed, grasping at the sheets.

"How does it feel, Rin?" Haru asked. I felt him take ahold of the toy and start thrusting it slowly and deeply.

"G-good," I stuttered, subconsciously moving my hips to meet his thrusts. "So fucking good."

"Do you want it at a higher setting?"

"Yes, yes come on, gimme more," I moaned. He obliged, heightening the setting on the vibrator. A groan tore itself from me; my arms, now trembling with the effort to hold myself up, collapsed, and my weight was held on my chest. Tingles of mind-numbing pleasure spread through me. Haru was far from gentle as he pulled the toy out and slammed it back in. I bit my lip to stifle a scream as he set a grueling pace with the vibrator.

My cock jerked again as my ass was met with another slap. The pain was so fucking good, not too rough not too gentle. I couldn’t wait to examine my ass later, to see the handprints that would no doubt be left behind.

“Yes!” I gasped, as another slap hit my cheek just as the vibrator was shoved right up against my prostate. I could feel my orgasm building already, even without having my cock touched.

“Count, Rin,” Haru ordered, and my lust-addled mind had barely enough time to make sense of his words before his hand came down again.

“One!” I moaned, as the slap resounded in the air. A second one came soon after, making my whole body tremble. “Two!”

With each slap, Haru thrust the vibrator in hard to hit my sweet spot. My legs shook, and I could feel the heat pooling in my gut.

“Keep counting,” came Haru’s voice, and I realized I had stopped counting.

“S-Seven. Oh fuck, I’m close, I’m close, I’m gonna -”

Just as I was about to come, Haru’s hand wrapped around the base of my cock and gripped tight. Curses flew out of my mouth as the vibrator kept assaulting my prostate but I was kept from coming.

“Not until I say so,” Haru said.

With my sight gone, I felt everything so much more. The pain mixed with the pleasure and made my body scream in ecstasy.

“Please, Haru,” I moaned, whining when he slipped the toy out of me. I clenched around empty air, panting.

“Soon, just hold on a little longer,” Haru said, and his voice sounded breathy. The weight on the bed shifted agains, and I heard the sounds of clothes hitting the floor. A zipper was pulled down, and soon Haru was pressing something else - the head of his cock, I could tell - against my entrance.

“Fuck!” I screamed, and Haru moaned as he pushed inside in one smooth movement.

He didn’t wait, setting a grueling pace and fucking me hard. I was tugging on my binds again, forehead pressed against the mattress, relishing in the feeling of his cock slamming into me. I moaned shamelessly, squirming in delight when Haru’s nails dug into my hips.

A hand found its way into my hair, and Haru gripped me tight and pulled. My head lifted with the force of it, another groan tearing itself from my lips.  

“So good,” Haru moaned in my ear. “So good, Rin. So beautiful, you’re so perfect.”

“Love you!” I managed to say. “Love your cock, fuck, feels so fucking good. Harder, c’mon, do it harder, faster.”

And he did, his hips slamming against my ass. He tugged on my hair and turned my head sideways, and hot breath fanned across my face as his lips clumsily met mine. I kissed back, tongue first, biting at his lips. I couldn’t hold back any longer, the rush of orgasm approaching quickly after being denied once before.

“Coming, coming, Haru!” I mumbled against his lips.

Haru moaned in response, pulling my hair and biting hard at the juncture of my neck. With the pain of the bite spreading through me, I came hard all over the sheets, my breath caught in my throat.

“Rin, _Rin_.” Haru’s hips stuttered, and then I felt a warmth filling me.

I collapsed on the bed, breathing hard and feeling boneless. Haru caught his breath and then shifted, and the blindfold slipped away from my eyes. I kept my eyes shut, too blissed out to move. I felt him uncuffing me, my arms flopping down uselessly once they were free. Haru flipped me over when he put the cuffs away, leaning to kiss me softly. I opened my eyes, staring up at him tiredly.

“Are you alright?” Haru murmured, gently massaging my wrists.

“Fucking perfect,” I slurred sleepily. I was so relaxed, my earlier annoyance and anger long forgotten.

“I wasn’t too rough?”

I shook my head, rolling my head to the side to let him kiss softly at the place where he had bitten.

“This will leave a mark,” Haru observed, licking at the bite.

“Good,” I grinned, stretching out and wrapping one arm around him. “Thanks, Haru. That was fantastic.”

Haru smiled serenely, placing a kiss on my lips. “Mm, anytime. You look gorgeous when you’re screaming my name.”

I didn’t even have the strength to argue with him, my eyes falling shut of their own accord. I vaguely noticed Haru getting up and going to the bathroom, coming back with a wet cloth and swiping it between my cheeks to clean me up a little. He was able to pull the sheets from beneath me somehow, and then he was back at my side, pulling me into his arms.

“Goodnight, Rin,” He whispered, trailing his hand down my chest.

“Mmm,” I mumbled, too deep to give him a proper reply. He huffed a laugh, and the last thing I felt before sleep took me was his lips on my jaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put my other fic on hold for a little bit and focus on this. So hopefully I get to finish TOMH in the next few weeks!


	7. Invisible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past can't seem to leave Haru alone.

**Haru**

“Mother,” I said, my head bowed and eyes on my shoes. “I was lying to you, I’m sorry.”

Mother’s lip curled in disgust, her eyes cold as she surveyed me from head to toe.

“Disgraceful,” she sneered. “I can’t believe I have to call _you_ my son. All I expected of you was to find a suitable bride and follow in our footsteps, and you couldn’t even manage to do that much. Instead, you go off with some _man._ It’s disgusting.”

“But it’s not!” I said, my tone pleading. “If you got to know him -”

Pain pierced through my skull as a hand roughly grabbed my hair. Father appeared behind me, pulling my head back and making me look into his eyes.

“Filthy,” he spat. “You’re no son of mine.”

My eyes screwed shut, the stabbing pain in my head increasing when he tightened his grip. My hands shot to his wrist, futilely trying to pull out of his grasp.

“Now, now, there’s no need to be so cruel,” Mother reprimanded. Father let go of me suddenly, and I fell to my knees, clutching my head.

Mother kneeled in front of me, her earlier look of contempt replaced with a pleasant smile. She reached out and took me into her arms, laying my head against her chest.

“You may be filth, but what does it matter?” Mother said happily. “You never meant anything to us in the first place.” Her hand rubbed up and down my back, as if she was soothing a child. “We should have left you sooner. You were never good enough, we should have gladly given you to that other disgusting friend of yours. Maybe that family could find it in them to love you.”

Her tone was cheerful, as if the words she spoke weren’t cruel and shredding my heart to pieces. Her hand slid up further to my neck, nails dragging roughly to my cheek. She suddenly dug them in harshly, and I could feel the droplets of blood forming as she scratched across my cheek. I struggled, trying to escape, but it was as if an invisible force was keeping me from moving. Mother pulled back slightly to smile at me.

“You say that boy loves you? You don’t deserve to be loved.”

Her hands found their way to my throat, and her grip tightened. My eyes widened; I was finding it harder to breathe with every passing second. I clawed at her hands, but her grip only tightened even more, cutting off my breath.

“M-Moth-er,” I rasped.

“Oh, Haruka,” Mother laughed as she continued to choke me. “Pathetic, little Haruka. Why couldn’t I have had a normal son? Hm, Haruka?”

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. As the strength slowly drained from my body, my hands fell uselessly by my side. I was left to stare at Mother’s laughing face, Father standing close behind her, as she said those heart wrenching words so casually and dug her nails into my throat.

“Haruka.”

“Worthless Haruka.”

“Disgraceful Haruka.”

“Haruka.”

My eyes were closing. My chest felt on fire from the lack of oxygen.

“We don’t need you, Haruka.”

“You were never a Nanase, Haruka.”

“Haruka…”

What was the point in fighting any longer? To them, I was nothing. Nothing more than a failure and a disgrace.

“Haruka…”

“Haru..ka…”

“Haru...”

It was so dark, and yet, I could still see the image of Mother’s laughing face imprinted on the back of my eyelids.

“Haru…”

“Haru!”

My eyes snapped open and I gasped, relief washing over me as air filled my lungs. My body trembled, and for a moment, I could only see my parents’ faces laughing and sneering at me.

“Haru?”

Rin’s voice brought me back to the present. My eyes focused, and I saw him looming over me with worry clouding his features.

“R-Rin?” I whispered, shivering. I was drenched in a cold sweat.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Rin soothed, and reached over to push my hair away from my forehead. His touch was so different from Mother’s in my dream. I took in a deep breath, pulling Rin back down onto the mattress and rolling over into his chest.

“Bad dream?”

I nodded against his chest. Rin’s arms came to wrap around me and hold me close. His warmth was soothing, seeping into my bones.

“Wanna talk about it” He asked, carding his fingers through my hair.

I let out a shaky breath, closing my eyes.

“It was just about my parents,” I said softly. “They were just saying the usual… ‘You’re a disappointment, you’re disgusting.’ But they were… hurting me. Mother had her hands around my neck but she smiled so sweetly. It was horrifying.”

“You keep having these dreams,” Rin pointed out. “They’re not nearly as frequent as they used to be, but they’re not going away, either. Haru, it’s been four years, but you can’t tell me you’re okay when you wake up shaking and covered in sweat.”

I could hear the concern in his voice, but I kept silent. He was right, after all. It may have been four years since I was disowned, but the pain of it was still there, deep inside my heart. The only time it really showed was when it manifested in my dreams.

“I’ll be fine, Rin,” I said. “I’m happier now than I ever was with them.”

And I was. I’d never regret the choices I made, because they led me to being with Rin. I’d fight through the nightmares as many times as I’d have to.

Rin didn’t give me a response, but kept soothingly rubbing my back. Eventually, I was lulled back to sleep, much more calm and relaxed, the faces of my parents at the back of my mind.

...o0o...

Two days after my nightmare, I found myself sitting across from Sosuke in a secluded booth at the Sharkbait Cafe. He was giving me an amused smirk while I glared at him, thoroughly unimpressed with Rin’s sneaky tactic.

“When I get home…” I muttered under my breath.

Sosuke rolled his eyes at me. “I’m sure Rin’s already prepared for your anger.”

I sighed, staring down into my coffee. Rin, the sneaky little mole, had convinced me to come to the cafe with him. But what I thought would be a relaxing afternoon sipping on our drinks and discussing the wedding together turned out to be a setup when I walked in to find Sosuke there, too. Rin had left fairly quickly, then, grinning and telling me to ‘play nice’.

And suddenly, it all made sense: Rin’s pensive silence over the last couple of days, the way he would stare at me intensely and nod like he’d come to a conclusion. It was all in preparation for making me talk to Sosuke, the professional Psychologist.

“I’m leaving,” I announced, standing up.

Before I was even halfway to my feet, Sosuke reached out and caught my wrist.

“Sit your ass back down, Nanase,” he commanded, fixing me with a stern look. “I’m nice enough to take the time to talk to you, so at least be a little grateful and humor me. Trust me, I don’t want to see your ugly mug, either.”

“I never asked you to.”

“No, but Rin did. So sit down.”

Thoroughly annoyed, I decided to comply with his wishes and humor him. When I was seated again with my coffee in my hands, Sosuke finally let go of me, and leaned back in his seat.

“Right, so,” he started. “Rin says you keep having nightmares about your parents. He told me the gist of it, but I want to hear it from you. Don’t leave anything out.”

He pulled out a pen and notebook from his bag while I gathered my thoughts. A part of me really didn’t want to do this. My parents weren’t supposed to be affecting me even now, so much later. It was frustrating to know that I let them have this affect on me, and that I never had the chance to fight back.

Sosuke waited patiently for me, and I made the mistake of looking him in the eyes. I could see that he was worried as well. He would never say it, but he cared, and the fact that he wanted to help me went unspoken. Perhaps it would be best to just let him.

“It’s always a repeat of what they said to me that night I ran away,” I began. He started taking notes as soon I spoke. “Variations of ‘disgusting’ and ‘disgrace’. I keep hearing them tell me that being with a man is wrong. And everytime, I try to make them understand that it isn’t.”

I tugged the sleeves of my sweater over my hands. The cafe wasn’t very busy today, but the little noise there was sounded as if it far away.

“It’s my mother that usually says the cruelest things. She tells me she wishes that she could have had a normal son. She says I’m worthless, undeserving of love, especially theirs. She just keeps reminding me how much she hates me.”

“And what about your dad?” Sosuke asked softly when I had gone silent.

I frowned down at my cup. “He never says much. He lets Mother do that, and instead he tries to hurt me physically. He usually grabs me forcefully by my hair, and sometimes he even throws punches. But it’s mostly my mother that haunts me. The most terrifying times are when she says it all with a sweet smile as she embraces me. And then… she usually ends up with her hands around my throat and her nails digging into my skin.”

I stopped there, not knowing what else to add. I felt like there was a weight on my shoulders, and I took a swig of my drink to try and distract myself.

“And how do you usually feel during all this?” Sosuke asked, his gaze boring into me. “Scared, I bet.”

I gave a nod. “It’s like the oxygen is slowly being cut off and the strength is seeping out of me.”

“Do you ever feel frustrated? Like you wish you could just yell at them to get it through their heads that they’re wrong?”

I thought back to all the times I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn’t disrespect them. Those days when I was on house arrest were filled with tension, but they were the most freeing because I mostly said what I wanted. Even now, a part of me wanted to just scream everything I was feeling.

“I could never talk back,” I said. “It was always ‘Yes, Mother,’ or ‘Of course, Father.’ Now, I feel this - this itch in my chest, and every time I think about them, it’s usually anger that takes over the sadness. I know they’ll never understand, but I want them to know that more than the pain they’ve left me with, I’ve been given an endless amount of love from the partner they couldn’t agree with. And sometimes, when the anger completely takes control, I just feel like yelling obscenities at them.”

“Hmm, I see. Alright, I’m going to ask you a question, Haru.” Sosuke looked at me seriously, as if analyzing my expression. “Take your time thinking about it okay?”

I nodded without hesitation. For some reason, just talking about this with another person was making me feel a little lighter.

“Do you still love your parents?”

The definite ‘no’ was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it back down. If I really thought about it, did I seriously not love them at all? As far back as I could remember, it had just been one expectation after another placed on me. And I never rebelled against it, because I wanted to please them. I wanted them to be happy with me, to be proud and give me the affectio I was starved for. When I thought about that, did I really still love them?

“I don’t know if it’s possible to hate your parents completely,” I said, brows furrowed. “I do hate how they didn’t even try to understand. I hate how I never had a voice, and how I was labeled as ‘disgraceful’ as soon as they found out that I wasn't how they wanted me to be. I know what familial love is, and I know that what I feel for them is nothing like what I feel for Gou, Matsuoka-san, and Grandmother. So no, I don’t still love them, but I don’t exactly hate them, either. I just wish they could have tried to love me and understand.”

“Feelings like that can be complicated,” Sosuke stated. “You don’t love them, but you don’t hate them. No matter how cruel they are, you can’t hate them because they’re your parents. You only wonder why you aren’t good enough for them.”

He hit the nail right on the head, and I nodded. The mix of emotions was confusing, to say the least.

“Do you think you’re better off without them?”

That question was one I could answer immediately. “Yes. To be honest, I’m more than okay with never seeing them again. My life is much better without them constantly shoving their expectations down my throat.”

“Okay, so tell me. What would you say is the most dominant emotion that you feel whenever you think about them?”

I thought for a moment and said, “There’s pain, but most of it is anger. In my dreams, I’m always frustrated that they’re not understanding, that they’re not even trying. And when I think back on the days leading up to the night I ran away, I feel like pulling my hair out because I feel like I should have screamed at them and finally said everything that was on my mind.”

Sosuke nodded his head, jotting down a few more things before looking out the window in thought.

“Do you think you’d feel better if you got to say everything you want to?” He asked.

I tilted my head, considering it.

“I think it would make me less regretful. And maybe less angry.”

“Right. Alright Haru, listen to me.” I caught his eye, and he leaned forward, lowering his voice. “The first thing you need know that they can’t hurt you anymore. They can’t say all that cruel shit, they can’t touch you. Those dreams? They’re just your memories, exaggerated and twisted. I promise you, it’s not going to happen again.”

I swallowed; there was a pressure behind my eyes, threatening to burst through. He sounded so sincere, and his teal eyes were blazing with determination.

“If you need to, just keep telling yourself ‘They can’t hurt me’ whenever you have a nightmare. I’d also recommend keeping a journal for this stuff. You seem like you’d benefit from writing your feelings down. And focus on the good things around you, alright? Let Rin’s mom spoil you, because you know she loves you. If you ever doubt that you’re loved, just look at that group photo we took at the beach last year.”

I felt a smile tugging at my lips, and Sosuke mirrored it. “Okay,” I said.

“And last, but most importantly, I want you to write a letter.”

I raised an eyebrow, telling him to go on.

“Write a letter to your parents. All those things you’ve wanted to say to them? Write it down. Tell them they’re unreasonable, or they were wrong to expect so much of you. Tell them you resented them for getting you that stuffed toy when you were five, or something.” He grinned then, not looking at me as he scanned over his notebook. “But I’m a professional, so I’m definitely _not_ going to tell you to cuss them out or anything. I mean, you can’t just call them assholes and tell them to go fuck themselves. Pfft, nope. I only give professional advice.”

I was grinning at that point, but I managed to get myself under control and give him a serious look.

“Of course not,” I agreed.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say Sosuke was looking at me fondly for a moment. That moment was gone, though, when he stood up, grabbing his bag.

“Right, I’d say we’re done here,” he announced. “Write that letter and send it, okay? Put whatever you want, just make sure you feel satisfied after it’s done.”

“I will,” I said. I stood up as well, and for once, it was easy to say the next words with complete sincerity. “Thank you, Sosuke.”

Sosuke looked taken aback, which quickly dissolved to embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Er, yeah, well… I care about you, too, you asshole. I wouldn’t have listened to your sob story if I didn’t.”

I couldn't suppress a chuckle, amused by his embarrassment. My laughter stopped abruptly, however, when he pulled me into an awkward, one-armed hug.

“Just, don’t try to act like you’re fine, okay?” He said. “Rin worries, and then Makoto worries, and Keiji worries, and then we all worry about you. And just, just know that you can talk to me whenever, alright? I can give you advice.”

I was silent for a second before smiling and saying, “You’re so awkward, Yamazaki.”

“Nanase, you fucker, I-”

Before he could pull away, I put my arm around him, too.

“But thank you,” I said softly. “For everything.”

We stayed in that awkward hug for a moment more, and then Sosuke pulled away with a scowl.

“That was so fucking sappy, I need to go punch a wall or something,” he grumbled.

“Have fun with that.”

He patted me once on the arm, and then turned and left the cafe. Taking a deep breath, I looked out the window.

I steeled myself, knowing that the next couple of days would be a hell of anger and painful memories. But the end of it all was in sight, and I allowed myself to stand up tall under the weight of the past. I couldn’t let myself fall just yet.

I had a letter to write, after all.

* * *

 

**Rin**

I’d figured that Haru would be livid after I set him up with Sosuke to talk. It wasn’t that they hated each other or anything; I just knew that Haru hated talking about the past, even to me. So making him talk to Sosuke, who was an actual Psychologist, would probably earn me a week of no cuddling.

But, surprisingly, Haru came home looking completely normal, if not a little brighter. The tension drained from me in an instant when he kissed me in greeting, muttering a hushed, “Thank you,” before retreating upstairs with his laptop. I was left staring for a moment, completely taken aback.

I wanted to ask him what he and Sosuke talked about, or how it went, but I held my tongue. He’d tell me if he wanted to, right?

I don’t know why I doubted him for a second. Four days after his meetup with Sosuke, Haru sat next to me on a cushion, handing me his laptop with a determined look in his eyes.

I rose a brow in question. “What’s this?”

“A letter,” Haru answered. “To my parents. Sosuke said I’d feel better if I wrote one.”

I nodded, assuming he wanted me to read it. It didn’t look very long, a little over a page long. Without further ado, I started reading:

“Dear Mr.and Mrs. Nanase,

I have to wonder, what on earth goes through your minds? Do you ever think back to your old home? Do you ever regret leaving? I’ll assume that you don’t, seeing as you’ve never tried contacting me again. But before you think so, I want you to know that I’m not writing this letter because I miss you. I really, really don’t care about you anymore.

No. I’m writing this letter because there are some things I never got to tell you.

Like how much of a weight was lifted off my shoulders whenever you two went back to Tokyo. I was free to be myself during that time. I used to be so afraid of you two.  I never wanted to come out, and I certainly never wanted to tell you that I had no intention of taking of the family business. Things didn’t quite go according to plan, but maybe that was for the best. At least I no longer have to worry about being the perfect son for you.

I just have to wonder what goes through your head. Aren’t parents meant to protect their children and love them unconditionally? I guess you missed the memo on that one. You were always unfair and demanding, expecting too much from me. And I was naive enough to think you cared about me. But I realized on the day you caught me and Rin together that you were nothing but judgemental, homophobic assholes.

I don’t need you, and I’ve proven that over the last four years. I’m a successful novelist now. And you remember Rin, don’t you? Well, he and I are engaged now, and the wedding is fast approaching. I guess what you thought about us ‘experimenting’ was a little off the mark, wasn’t it?

I’ve spent the last few days really evaluating my feelings, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I am so, so happy without you in my life. After all, I have a true family that loves me for who I am. What more could I ask for? I’ll always wonder how you could be so stupidly bigoted, but I doubt I’ll ever come to a conclusion.

Before I end this letter, I’d just like to say a few choice things that have crossed my mind over the course of my life:

You’re unfair douches, just perfect for each other. It’s always your kind that commands the big companies, isn’t it? Asshole control-freaks who can’t do anything for themselves, ordering others around to make themselves look good. God, I’m so glad I don’t have to be called your son anymore, what an embarrassment. Mrs. Nanase, this is very late coming, but you are a complete and utter bitch. Mr. Nanase, you’re a fucking asshole cunt and I hope karma fucks you right in the ass. You’re a bitch, too. My only regret is not yelling all this in your shitty faces. My ultimate goal now if to one day see you in passing and give you a wide grin and the middle finger, with Rin’s arm around me. So yeah, you can just go fuck yourselves.

Hope you have a shitty life,

Haruka Matsuoka”

Both my eyes and my grin were wide by the time I finished reading. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or not, but I definitely felt like it.

“That was probably the best letter I’ve ever read in my life,” I said, seeing Haru smile.

“Not very creative, but I hope I got my feelings across,” Haru said. “I’ll have to thank Sosuke again sometime. This really helped me get the load off my chest.”

“I’m glad it worked out for you… Haruka Matsuoka.” I smiled dreamily, loving the sounds of it. “Damn, that sounds so perfect.”

“It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

I nodded furiously, then looked back at the letter. “Hey, can I add something of my own to it?”

Haru looked a little surprised, but nodded all the same. Grinning, I began to type under Haru’s name:

“P.S. If gays rot in hell, then I’ll see you there! - Rin Matsuoka.”

Haru laughed at that one. We stared at each other for a long moment, and I could see the minute difference in the way he carried himself.

“Do you know how happy you make me, Rin?” Haru asked softly.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again.”

He gave me a playful shove, snuggling up close to me. “So happy. I may have lost two people in my life, but I’ve gained so many more who actually care. I think Grandmother would be proud of me.”

My smile softened. “Of course she would be. you’re doing what you love, and you don’t take any shit from anyone. You’re grown a lot as a person, Haru. I think she’d want to brag about you to the whole world.”

Haru ducked his head, but I could tell he was obviously pleased.

“We should go visit your mother sometime,” he said. “You, me, and Gou. It’d be nice to spend time together.”

“See, this is why Mom likes you more than me. You actually remember to visit her.”

Haru rolled his eyes. “We can say it was your idea.”

I shook my head, putting my arm around him. “Nah. But yeah, let’s stay the night this weekend. I’m sure it’ll make her happy.”

With that plan set, Haru went off to print the letter and send it. It was refreshing to see his head held high,

He was full of surprises, but I wasn’t sure why I kept being surprised by that. A week after he sent the letter, Haru came in to Scarlet Ink and got his left ear pierced. When I only stared at him in shock, eyes moving from his face to the silver stud in his ear, he pulled out something from his pocket. It was a box, and inside was an earring. An earring in the shape of an infinity symbol, with blue and red gems lining the top and bottom. My hand instinctively went up to my right ear, where I wore the exact same earring.

“Infinity,” Haru said softly, smiling. “Eternity. Endlessly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Haru was a little harsh, but I think he had every right to be tbh


	8. Old Friends, New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time to head to America arrives! Rin's excited to see some old friends.

Spring came in the blink of an eye. Before we knew it, it was March, and everyone was packing for our trip to the States. Haru took Hiro to Midorima and Takao’s place, who had volunteered to take care of him while we were gone. (Well, Takao offered, Midorima just turned his nose up at the mention and went back to work.) I took Sora to Kuroko and Kagami’s place. Kuroko already had Nigou, a puppy he’d found on the streets, so he was happy to look after Sora, too. The two dogs got along great, it was just Kagami I was worried about. He was terrified of dogs, even after living with Nigou.

The last few months had been exhausting. We had so much to finalize; catering, decorations, and a million other things that I had no idea went into planning a wedding. The night before our departure, I could barely keep in my excitement. I kept grinning at Haru, who now wore the infinity earring proudly, and chattered away as we packed the last few of our things. We’d only be there for three weeks, but I was determined to explore the whole city in that time.

We got a lot of stares when we got on the train. There were twelve of us, all with our own luggage, so to say it was packed and loud was an understatement. I had Haru by my side the whole time, our fingers laced together as we headed for the airport.

Everything felt a lot lighter once our bags were weighed and taken away. Nagisa bounced all over the place, looking out the windows to watch the planes take off and land.

“Sitting on a plane isn’t that fun, but watching them take off is awesome!” He exclaimed, tugging Rei to the window.

“You ever been on a plane before?” I asked Haru, who sat next to me in a chair as we waited for the gate to open so we could board.

Haru shook his head. “This will be my first time.”

I remembered the awe of being on a plane when we went to Australia. It was amazing; Gou and I couldn’t stop staring out the window the whole time.

Our gate number was called and people started lining up to board. I grabbed my backpack, slinging it over my shoulder, while Haru picked up his messenger bag. We went through that tube thingy to the entrance of the plane, showing our boarding passes to the flight attendant, and boarded one by one. Our seats were further back in the economy class, and we passed by the luxurious first class enviously. When we got to our seats, I offered Haru the window seat. It was his first time flying, after all.

“This is so exciting!” Nagisa said. He was sitting right behind me. I took out my headphones; I’d need them if I wanted to survive the flight with him.

Haru stared out the window as the other passengers found their seats.

“I’ll finally be able to write about what it feels like to fly,” he murmured absentmindedly.

“Too bad you can’t feel the wind blowing through your hair,” I said, leaning over to look out too. “If you were a bird, Haru, I don’t think you’d ever stay in your nest for long.”

“I would if I had you in the nest with me,” Haru responded. “But I’d make you fly all day with me.”

I grinned, kissing his cheek. “Of course you would.”

The plane started to rumble, and the captain asked for everyone to put on their seatbelts as we took off. The plane, along with my stomach, lurched as it began to roll forward. I eagerly looked out the window with Haru; we slowly began to rise, and as the ground became farther and farther away, my smile slipped off my face.

For some reason, Dad’s face flashed into my mind.

We were gaining altitude, and my eagerness was replaced with apprehension. I gripped the armrests tight.

“Onii-chan?” Gou said with concern. She was sitting to my left, leaning forward slightly to look at my face. “Are you okay?”

Sweat was breaking out on my forehead, but I nodded jerkily. “Fine, fine…” I whispered.

I didn’t feel so fine when the plane rumbled again. I squeezed my eyes shut. I regretted it instantly, though, because Dad’s face kept popping up in my head, along with a made-up image of a plane crash.

“Rin?” Haru asked worriedly.

“Onii-chan… Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Gou’s voice was soothing. She probably figured out what was going on.

I was never afraid of flying before. The last time I had flown was when we were coming back from Australia, but I was fine then. Dad hadn’t died in that crash yet.

It looked like his death affected me in ways I didn’t even know about until now. My breaths were quick and shallow, and goosebumps broke out across my skin. What if we crashed too? What if all of us died just like Dad did? It was a long as fuck flight, and I was already envisioning the horrible things that could happen.

I felt a hand pry my fingers away from the left armrest, and the same was done to the right. I found myself clutching hands instead, one smaller and one slightly bigger.

“It’s going to be fine, Rin,” Haru murmured in my ear. His thumb stroked soothingly across my knuckles.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Gou added. I pried my eyes open to see her smiling at me. “Everything’s gonna be okay. Do you want to want to watch a movie together? Come on, it’ll distract you!”

Without waiting for my response, she leaned over to tap away at the screen on the back of the seat in front of me. I was left staring at her; my sister, who had to deal with the same emotions that I did at a younger age, was so much braver. Here she was, holding my hand and smiling for me, and despite the anxiety that was welling up inside me, I teared up a bit.

“You loved flying before, didn’t you?” Haru asked quietly.

“Yeah, it - it used to be fine, _fun_ , but now…” I said shakily.

Haru gripped my hand tighter, demanding all of my attention.

“Then don’t let the past stop you. Nothing is ever certain, Rin. There are risks to everything, but if you let the fear stop you from enjoying life, then are you really living?” He pressed his lips to my jaw. “And I’m here with you. So let’s enjoy life together, alright?”

I took a deep breath, calming down slightly. He was right, of course. My nerves weren’t gone entirely, the fear still lingering in the back of my mind, but I was able to focus more on him and the movie Gou put on.

“Right,” I sighed out.

It was a long ass flight, yeah, but Gou and Haru didn’t let go of my hands the entire way.

...o0o...

Everybody was happy when we finally landed in Trost. My legs were aching from sitting so long, and I was glad to finally be able to stretch them. Not to mention I felt ten times calmer being off that plane.

We got held up at security because Nagisa and Momo wouldn’t calm the fuck down. They were so excited; they kept bouncing all over the place, not listening to Rei and Ai. It finally took Sei grabbing them by the collar of their shirts to calm them down.

“So what’s your reason for visiting?” The guy behind a counter asked. He looked at our passports, eyeing the rest of our group.

Haru, Mom and I were at the front. We were all pretty fluent in English - Haru having improved a lot over the years - but I was the one to answer.

He didn’t look like a very open-minded guy, so I grinned and said, “Sightseeing!”

He raised a brow, but didn’t comment, just making sure everything was in order before letting us pass and asking for the others’ passports.

We went to collect our bags afterward, piling them up on a few of those baggage carts. After we double checked that we had everything and that everyone was accounted for, we made our way out to where people would be waiting for their loved ones to arrive. In our case, we were expecting a few familiar faces.

“Hey, Rin!” A voice called out in English.

I scanned the crowd as I rolled the cart forward. Haru nudged my side, pointing at where the voice came from. Following his line of sight, I saw a familiar head of messy brown hair waving at us. My lips instantly spread into a grin.

“Yo, Eren,” I said as we approached.

The last time I had seen him was when he had visited Japan four years ago with his husband, Levi. They had been newly-weds, with Eren just 22 at the time and Levi being 29. Eren did look a little more lean and mature now, but glancing at his side, I could see that Levi was still his bitch-face, midget self. I couldn’t help but grin at that.

“Sorry, have you been waiting long?” I asked him.

He shook his head, nudging me away and taking the cart from me.

“Nah, not really -” he started, but Levi cut in with, “Fucking bet we have. What were you doing, taking a week-long shit or something?”

Everyone went silent for a second, but then Nagisa, Momo, and Keiji burst out laughing. They weren’t the only ones; a woman that I hadn’t noticed before, with brown hair tied back in a ponytail and glasses fixed upon her nose, drowned out their laughter with her own, slapping Levi on the back.

“Don’t mind his toilet humor,” the woman said cheerfully. “You learn to love it!”

“Touch me again, Shitty-Glasses, and I will Judo flip you,” Levi threatened, his steely eyes flashing.

The woman paid him no attention, shaking all of our hands one by one and introducing herself.

“I’m Hanji, nice to meet you!” I was the last one she shook hands with, her eyes wide and grinning like a maniac. “You’re Rin, right!? I can tell from the piercings and the tatts! They’re so cool! You think you could hook a girl up? I’d love a dragon on my back!”

I just gaped at her, not sure how to handle her explosion of a personality. Thankfully, I was saved by Captain America himself.

“Let him breathe, Hanji,” the man said in his deep voice. “He only just got here. Don’t go scaring them off.”

The guy was tall, about as tall as Sei. And he really did look like Captain America, all broad shoulders and blond hair and blue eyes. He took my hand in a firm grip and shook it.

“My name is Erwin Smith. Welcome to Trost, everyone.”

“Has anyone ever told you your eyebrows could probably fly away during the night?” Nagisa asked, staring up at Erwin. “Because they really look like they could.”

“Nagisa-kun, that’s rude!” Rei reprimanded, apologizing for him. Mom even smacked Nagisa upside the head like she would do me, shaking her head.

Hanji, though, seemed to find it hilarious.

“I know right!” She exclaimed, putting an arm around Nagisa. “I like you, you’re fun! Hey, Eren, I volunteer to host this kid and his hubby! Nagisa, right? I think we’re gonna get along just fine.”

Their grins spelled out nothing but trouble, and I shot Rei a sympathetic look. He looked at a complete loss of what to do.

“Can we go now?” Levi grumbled, hands in his pocket. “It’s a fucking hour long drive back.”

We all agreed that it was best to get going. Erwin took the cart from Haru with a smile, and the others trailed behind us. They made quick friends with Hanji and Erwin, and Erwin was really winning Mom’s approval with how polite he was. They weren’t afraid to jab at Levi now and then either. I’m sure that if it was anyone else, Levi would have ripped their throats out.

They were parked up on the roof, the slightly chilly wind whipping around us as we approached the cars. Hanji was driving a van, already picking out the people that would be going with her. Erwin, in his sleek black BMW, offered to drive Mom, Makoto, and Sei. Levi’s car was red sports car, which kind of surprised me. I’d expected him to go for something classier. He obviously didn’t give a fuck, though.

Once all the bags were divided into the trunks, it was decided that Haru, Gou, and I would be riding with Levi and Eren. As everyone got into their assigned seats, Keiji waved at us from Hanjj’s van.

“Farewell, my friends, just in case we never see each other again,” he said jokingly.

Levi didn’t take it as a joke though.

“Kid’s smart,” he said, climbing into the driver’s seat. “Hanji drives like a maniac. Surprised she’s still alive.”

I was starting to worry for some of my friends. I needed by best man intact, at least.

Eren sat with Levi up front, and the three of us crammed in the back seat. We fit, thankfully, with Gou in between Haru and I.

“We can decide where you guys are gonna stay once we get back to our place,” Eren said. “Like I said before on the phone: there’s no point in getting hotel rooms when there are plenty of us to put you guys up.”

Levi muttered something under his breath which sounded suspiciously like, “Better not make a mess of my fucking house or there will be blood.”

Eren ignored him, though, and went on. “Rin and Haru can stay with me and Levi. How’s that sound?”

“As long as you don’t mind,” I said, because my Mom taught me manners.

“No problem at all,” Eren grinned. I saw Levi roll his eyes in the rear-view mirror. “You’re single, right Kou?”

Gou was caught off guard by the sudden question, her mouth dropping open when she realized how Eren had said her name.

“Er, yeah, I am,” she answered. Her English had gotten a lot better, too.

“Great! My sister lives alone pretty close to us. I think you two would get along, so you’re welcome to stay with her if you want. You can talk it over when we get back.”

“Is she gonna be at your place?” I asked.

“Yeah, all of our friends are. I asked Armin and Mikasa to just get a few things ready. Cook a few last minute meals and stuff. And with everyone there, your friends can decide who they wanna stay with.”

“You didn’t have to go to so much trouble,” Haru said. We all looked at him - except Levi, who looked like he was barely listening to the conversation - they were his first words since we landed.

Eren smiled, giving him a thumbs up from above the back of his seat. “No problem at all, Haru. Everyone’s really excited for the wedding. It’s the least we can do.”

We went quiet after that. Eren let us appreciate the city without interruption, and we jumped at the chance.

We stared out the window in awe. As we sped down the highway, we saw tall buildings in the distance. So far it wasn’t all that different from Japan, but America just had a different feel to it. It felt more open, the air even felt different.

The real beauty came when we reached the city. The streets were filled with all kinds of stores and people wandering around. People of all races were scattered about, so much different from Japan. Trost was huge, all tall buildings and large houses. The thing that stood out the most was a tower that we could see no matter where we were. It had to be at least a hundred stories tall, overlooking the city. My attention kept being drawn back to it, so I decided to ask.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to the tower through the window.

“Trost Tower,” Levi answered. “Take your mom there, kid. She’ll like it.”

“People can see the city from the top of the tower,” Eren explained. “You know, like that tower they have in Japan. A lift carries you up to the top and you can see through the glass.”

“Onii-chan, we have to go!” Gou said excitedly.

“I agree,” Haru added, peering at the tower. “I think I’d like to write about it.”

I nodded, deciding to put visiting Trost Tower on the top of my list.

We arrived at Eren and Levi’s place pretty quickly after that. We pulled into the driveway alongside another car, grabbing our bags and heading out. Eren and Levi lived in a modest single story home. The front lawn was neatly trimmed, with flowers lining the walkway up to the front door.

While we were slinging our backpacks over our shoulders, Erwin and Hanji pulled up too. Everyone got out, stretching and laughing and carrying on whatever conversation they were having. I watched as Sosuke came up to me on shaky legs, grabbing onto my shoulder tightly and looking deathly pale.

“Whoa, are you okay?” I asked, holding onto his arm.

He shook his head, his mouth pressed in a thin line.

“I am never getting a car with her again,” he said with finality. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

I looked over his shoulder to everyone else that had been in the van with him. Nagisa and Momo were as chipper as usual, but Ai, Rei, and Keiji all looked like they were going to collapse. I looked back at Sosuke.

“We’ll catch a bus,” I said. “And live to see another day.”

“Are you asshats coming or not?” Levi called, from where he was turning the key in the lock of the front door.

We followed after him, entering the house and taking our shoes off without having to be prompted. It was eerily quiet, something that everyone noticed. When we entered the kitchen, we found out why.

Levi stood in the middle of the kitchen looking murderous. I was a little taken aback because I had no idea why he could be so mad so suddenly. Looking around, I saw people all frozen in their spots, staring at Levi with either dread or nervousness.

“Springer,” Levi seethed. “Get your ass off my counter _right now_.”

“Oh shit, he only cussed once,” a girl with brown hair whispered.

The boy on the counter, who stood out with his buzzcut, leaped off in a flash. He stood up straight with a fearful expression and saluted.

“Sorry, sir!” He said, but it came out as a squeak.

Levi’s scowl could kill, and he crossed his arms as he surveyed everyone else. Eren, hiding his laughter behind his hand, went up and wrapped an arm around Levi’s waist.

“C’mon Levi, loosen up. You’re scaring them.”

Levi glared at everyone before sighing. “Fine, but you’re cleaning this shit up later.”

‘This shit’ was probably the flour that dusted almost everyone’s clothes and the countertops and floor. But putting all that aside, my eyes were drawn to the spread laid out on the table. There was chicken and pasta and all sorts of amazing food. And right in the middle, there was a giant cake with the word “WELCOME” written on it.

“Right, introductions!” Hanji exclaimed.

She pulled us all into a cheerful exchange of names. I met so many people, trying my best to remember names and faces. The girl with the brown hair in a ponytail, who always seemed to have her mouth full of food, was named Sasha. Her boyfriend was the one who was on the counter earlier, Connie. There was a pair of girls, one tall with brown hair and freckles. Her name was Ymir, and she seemed a little standoffish. Her girlfriend was familiar, though. I had spoken to Christa before, a short girl with big blue eyes and the vibe of an absolute angel.

“It’s really nice to finally meet you in person!” She said with a huge smile.

“Yeah, it’s good to meet you too,” I said, shaking her small hand.

From there we met Jean; it was obvious in an instant that he and Eren didn’t get along. They were yelling names at each other like it was a habit, but every now and then they’d chuckle and playfully shove each other too. It was pretty weird. Jean’s boyfriend, Marco, was like freckled Jesus. He was kind and sweet and had a smile even more beautiful than Christa’s.

“Hey everyone, it’s nice to meet you,” a boy with blond hair said. He smiled brightly, shaking our hands. “I’m Armin, Eren’s best friend. Congrats on the wedding, guys!”

Eren came over with a girl by his side. She had black hair and calm black eyes, with a red scarf wrapped around her neck.

“Guys, this is my sister, Mikasa,” Eren said. Mikasa gave us a nod, but otherwise didn’t say anything.

I introduced myself, followed by Haru. Gou excitedly said hello, and I caught Mikasa smiling slightly at her. I had a feeling that they’d get along.

The get-together turned into kind of a welcome party after that. Everyone found people to talk to, discussing careers and hobbies. I was pretty exhausted after that trense flight, but managed to scarf down some food since I was starving. I couldn’t stomach anything on the plane. Afterward, though, I was dead on my feet, leaning heavily on Haru for support. He had an arm around me, listening to Armin talk about his book (which Armin had read and loved), while rubbing my arm soothingly.

Ymir was interested in my tattooes, so I mustered up the energy to show her. I rolled my sleeve up to show her the cherry blossom tattoo, which she said looked pretty cool. Then she had Haru lift his shirt up so she could see the tattoo I designed. Haru didn’t have a problem with it, almost pulling his shirt completely off before I stopped him.

“Do you have his name on over your heart too?” Ymir asked.

I blushed, knowing that she was referring to the tattoo of my name she saw on Haru.

“Yeah, well… I knew I was gonna be with him forever whether we got married or not.”

Ymir grinned, pulling Christa into her arms.

“That’s pretty damn cute!” She said. “Let’s get some tatts, Babe. We can get each other’s name after I get that sick snake one I’ve been wanting.”

Christa looked flustered, but she smiled anyway.

At the table, Hanji was talking animatedly with Rei. He looked fearfully interested in what she was saying. Apparently, Hanji was a doctor and loved science more than anything. I could see why Rei was interested, loving science himself, but I didn't blame him for being wary around her. Keiji and Jean bonded over art. Jean had a little room in his and Marco’s apartment that he used as an art studio, and Keiji was instantly looking forward to seeing it.

“Alright, party’s over, you brats,” Levi announced. “Rin looks like he’s about to keel over, and the other shitheads need to rest up too. Find whoever you’re staying with and get the hell out of my house.”

They did as Levi said; Hanji dragged Nagisa and Rei with her as she left the house, talking about staying up late watching sci-fi movies. Sosuke didn’t put up a fight when Jean and Marco volunteered to put him and Keiji up. Marco really was sweet, so Sosuke was best off there. He gave me a weary hug before he left.

Sasha and Connie made it clear that they’d be happy to put Momo and Ai up, and they took them up on the offer. Erwin was happy to take Sei and Makoto; they all worked in similar fields and got along great. Christa was an angel when she invited Mom to stay with them, and Ymir had no objections to having an extra woman at their place. Gou was going with Mikasa as planned, who seemed happy to have some company.

“I feel kind of left out,” Armin said after everyone had left.

“You can stay the night if you want,” Eren offered. “Help me clean? Please?”

He gave Armin puppy dog eyes, pleading for help while Levi snorted. Armin just rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Fine,” he agreed. “But you have to make me those blueberry pancakes I love tomorrow.”

Eren instantly brightened. “I’ll make you a whole stack!”

“Come on, I’ll show you guys to your room,” Levi said.

“Night, guys,” I called as Haru and I followed after Levi.

“Night!” Armin and Eren said.

Levi led us down a pristine hallway past a bedroom and a bathroom. He showed us to a room at the far end. Pushing the door open, he turned on the lights.

In the middle of the room was a double bed with black and white sheets. On either side was a nightstand, a closet on the far side of the room, and a dresser at the opposite wall. And, in the middle of the bed, was a ball of black fur curled up asleep.

“Captain,” Levi said. The cat twitched his ear but otherwise didn’t move.

Levi sighed, moving to pick the feline up. Then he turned to us and fixed us with a serious look.

“This room’s yours for the next three weeks. I don’t care what you do with your time while you’re here, but I expect everything to always be fucking sparkling clean, alright? You’re gonna help out with chores and shit, but Eren made me promise not make you do too much since you’re here for a wedding and all. But not a speck of dust anywhere, got that? And I better not wake up to the sounds of you fucking or there’s gonna be hell to pay. Go somewhere else for that shit.”

“Understood,” I said, giving him the okay sign.

“Good.” And with that, Levi left the room with Captain, closing the door behind him. I dropped my bag at the foot of the bed and flopped down onto the mattress with a sigh.

“Today was exhausting,” I mumbled.

The mattress dipped as Haru sat beside me, running his fingers through my hair.

“Get changed and go to sleep,” he said softly. “I know the flight was hard on you, but we can relax now.”

I nuzzled his hand, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him closer.

“Yeah, I’m just ‘bout ready to pass out. Starting tomorrow, we’re gonna be sightseeing and getting ready for the biggest day of our lives. Exciting, huh?”

Haru smiled, leaning down to kiss my forehead.

“Very. Now get to bed so we can have the energy for all that.”

He leaned down to kiss me again, but this time I led him to my lips. We kissed long and slow, letting ourselves relax. I could feel sleep pulling at me already, but I forced myself to open my eyes and look up at him.

Starting tomorrow, we’d have a busy three weeks to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear God, please let me finish this fic before it gets any worse.


	9. The City of Trost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin's incredibly large group goes around sightseeing. Makoto has a surprise for Haru.

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of pancakes. It was thick in the air, as if it was seeping through the walls. It was a hell of a thing to wake up to, and I sure wasn’t complaining.

I rolled over in bed, stretching my arms over my head. I heard rustling next to me, and I opened my eyes to peek over to my side. Haru was just stirring awake. His eyes blinked open, and he peered back at me silently.

“G’morning,” I mumbled.

Haru squirmed his way over to me, and threw an arm around my torso, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

“It’s too early,” Haru grumbled back.

I looked over at the clock on the  nightstand. “Haru, it’s almost noon.”

“Too early,” he said again, latching onto me.

Smiling, I planted kisses all over his face before slipping out of his hold and standing. I went over to our bags and rummaged through them. Finding the clothes I wanted, I tossed a sweater, a shirt, and jeans up to Haru; then I got dressed myself.

Once Haru sluggishly got dressed, we left the room and headed to the kitchen. The place was spotless, the complete opposite of last night. Armin sat on a bar stool at the island, and Eren hummed as he flipped pancakes onto a growing stack on a plate.

“Morning, guys,” I greeted.

“Good morning!” Armin said cheerfully. He was neatly dressed and the spitting image of composed, whereas Eren’s hair was even messier than usual.

“Hope you guys are hungry, because I made a lot of pancakes,” Eren said, motioning to the tall stack.

“It’s not mackerel…” Haru stated. We all looked at him. “But it’ll do.”

Rolling my eyes, I sat next to Armin.

“Where’s Levi?” I asked.

“Work. He and Erwin are both detectives. High ranking ones too, and he has a shit ton of paperwork to do all the time.”

“Damn, no wonder he’s always in a sour mood.”

Eren laughed and slid over three plates piled high with blueberry pancakes. They looked as good as they smelled. I bathed mine in syrup before digging in, moaning in unison with Armin.

“How do you make even _pancakes_ taste so good?” Armin asked in wonder.

Eren grinned and gave him a wink. “You learn a few things when you’re the head chef at the restaurant you own.”

Haru looked mesmerized, and he leaned over to look Eren right in the eye. “Please give me the recipe for this.”

Eren laughed heartily. “Sure thing, buddy.”

We talked idly as we ate the rest of our breakfast. Haru and I insisted on cleaning up, since Eren had cooked for everyone.

“So what do you guys think about going out to explore today?” Eren asked as we dried the dishes.

“Most of us have the day off from work,” Armin said. “We’d love to take you guys sightseeing.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” I asked. “I know Gou’s dying to take pictures.”

“And I want to take notes,” Haru added.

Eren pulled out his phone. “Then I’ll give Horse-Face and Mikasa a call. Armin can take Sasha and Christa, and you guys can call the others.”

“Let me just grab my jacket,” I said, pulling out my phone as I exited the kitchen.

I went back to our room while sending a text to Rei and Nagisa. I grabbed my leather jacket from the room and quickly left.

As I went back to the kitchen, which was attached to the family room, I passed by another room that I hadn’t noticed before. It must’ve been the living room, what with the couches and pictures on the wall. But everything else was overshadowed by what sat in the far corner, gleaming under the natural light flowing through the windows.

It was a beautiful baby grand piano.

I walked over to it, looking at the shiny surface and the numerous keys with awe. Slowly, I slid my fingers over the instrument.

Not a speck of dust.

The buzzing of my phone brought me back to reality. It was Nagisa, replying to my earlier text.

**_From: Soul-less Blond_ **

_Hell yeah!! C u soon!!! :^D_

I pocketed my phone and slipped my jacket on. With one last look at the piano, I walked out of the room.

Back in the kitchen, Eren was just getting off the phone with Mikasa.

“Man, our sisters are best friends already,” he said happily. “Anyway, everyone’s set to go. We’ll have to pick up Makoto and Sei, since Erwin’s at work, but everyone else can meet us downtown.”

“Great. By the way, I saw a piano in the other room. You play?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Armin when he snorted.

“Eren can’t play a note to save his life,” he said, while Eren looked betrayed. “Levi’s the classically trained one.”

My eyebrows rose almost to my hairline at that, and I gaped at him.

“Really? Wow, I didn’t think of him as the type to like music.”

“His parents made him take lessons when he was a kid,” Eren explained. “He liked it, so he kept playing even though he was studying criminal justice.”

“And he’s good?” I asked, an idea forming.

Eren looked proud when he answered, “The best I know. He plays at my restaurant regularly.”

I exchanged looks with Haru. I had a feeling we were both thinking the same thing.

...o0o...

“Come on Levi, don’t be an ass,” I complained. “We’d even pay you for it.”

“I don't need your money, Kid. What I need is for you to shut the hell up. It’s already fucking loud enough as it is.”

It was a few hours later, and our entire, incredibly large group was wandering around the city. Erwin and Levi got off work and met up with us, and ever since then I’d been following Levi around, begging him to at least consider what I was asking.

“But Eren says you’re great, and you’re gonna be at the wedding anyway,” I reasoned, lathering on the butter just in case it worked. “Haru and I would love it if you played something at the ceremony.”

“Come on Levi, give it a chance,” Eren chimed in, coming to my rescue. “It can be your wedding gift to them.”

“Didn’t we already get these shitheads a present?”

“Leeeeeviiii,” Eren whined. He pouted, making eyes at his husband. Even I had to admit they were cute.

I was pretty sure Levi was blushing, but he sighed and rubbed his temples like this was giving him a huge headache.

“ _Fine_. Goddamn, you just don’t quit.”

I grinned, and even Haru smiled brightly at the news. Hanji, who was ahead of is just a minute ago, threw her arms around Levi.

“Are you gonna play at their wedding?!” She asked excitedly. “Whoohoo! That’s the spirit, Levi! Ooh, you should play Yankee Doodle again! And sing the part of him sticking a feather up his butt!”

Levi looked seconds away from murder. I could practically see the vein in his temple threatening to burst.

“Hanji, there’ll be none of that,” Erwin said, pulling the overly-excited Hanji off of Levi. “Maybe at the after-party, but the ceremony is supposed to be special. Behave yourself. Please.”

Hanji looked like someone killed her cat at the thought of having to behave.

I held hands with Haru the entire time we explored. We still received some dirty looks, but not as many as we would have back home.

Trost had some great scenery. Gou had her camera in hand, stopping to snap pics for the blank album I knew was at the bottom of her suitcase. She got some great shots; there was an area dedicated just to graffiti, where street artists could do what they did without having to worry about the cops. It was incredible to say the least.

The brick walls were covered in colors and designs. I felt like I could see the story in every piece, like the human heart being squeezed by the chains that bound it. Or the flowers that dripped blood like it was morning dew.

But the most beautiful of them all took up the space of an entire wall. It was the image of what looked like an angel, but it only had one wing. The wing itself was black, a few stray feathers falling from it. The angel’s right hand was raised to its face, where a mask rested, covering its identity.

“Wow,” Keiji breathed beside me.

“Pretty cool, isn’t it?” Jean asked, staring at the graffiti. “I come here a lot when I have art block. I’ve even made friends with some of the graffiti artists.”

The three of us spent a little more time than the others there, just staring at the wall. I put my faith in Gou that she got good pictures.

After that, we popped into a few stores. I got souvenirs for the Scarlet Ink crew, and some stuff for Ren and Ran. I did promise them gifts, after all.

We got some fast food for dinner, despite Levi’s complaints about it being too messy, sitting at tables outside under the setting sun.

“I swear to Satan, Eren, if you get grease on my clothes I’m going to -”

Levi was cut off by a kiss, and we all laughed at his face when it successfully shut him up.

“It’s only the first day, and I’m already loving everything about this city,” Mom commented.

She really did look happier than I’d seen her in a while. She rested her chin on her hand and motioned around.

“A vacation with all my kids. I never thought I’d be a mom to so many, but it sure does keep me on my toes.” She smiled at me, her eyes twinkling with joy. “I wish your father could see how much you’ve grown. I know he’d be proud of where you are today.”

I looked up at the sky with a slight smile. The stars were just beginning to peek out.

“Who says he can’t?” I asked softly. “Gou’s always believed that Dad’s watched over us all. She believes he never really left us in the first place. I want to believe that too.”

I looked back at Mom, and found tears in her eyes despite her smile.

“I believe that too Rin,” she said. “I just miss him sometimes.”

“Yeah, I do too.”

I looked over to Gou, who was eagerly showing Mikasa the pictures she had taken with her digital camera. I could only imagine how they’d look if Dad was in them, too.

I glanced around, finding Haru talking quietly with Keiji off to the side. Those two had gotten really closer after the whole thing with Haru’s parents. Patting Mom’s hand, I got up and wandered over to Haru and Keiji.

“Hey, Rin,” Keiji said excitedly when he saw me approach. “Haru and I had an idea! I’m working on a new piece for an exhibit, but I thought it would be cool if it had a written story to go with it. Just a few paragraphs to put a story to the scene.”

“It’d be a good experience,” Haru said, nodding. “I’ve never written anything based off an image before. And with the way Keiji is describing the painting, I already have an idea forming.”

“That sounds pretty cool,” I said, looking between Keiji’s excited expression and Haru’s cool one. “I have a gut feeling that it’s gonna get sold quick.”

“Hey everybody, we’re going to the tower now!” Momo called out.

I clapped Keiji and Haru on the back and followed the others.

Streetlights shone brightly as we made our way through the streets. Trost Tower stood tall in the distance, its lights shining beautifully.

“Nagisa-kun, look both ways before you cross the street!” Rei yelled as Nagisa ran forward.

“I’m invincible, Rei-chan!” Nagisa shouted happily.

I grabbed him by the hood of his jacket when he tried to zoom past me.

“Ack!” Nagisa stopped in his tracks when I held on tight, stumbling backwards.

“Invincible, my ass,” I remarked. “I don’t need any casualties while we’re here.”

“Matsuoka-san is giving you her death glare,” Haru pointed out.

Nagisa and I looked over our shoulders, where Mom was trailing behind us with some of the others. Sure enough, she was glaring something fierce at Nagisa. Slowly, she raised her fingers to her eyes, and then pointed at Nagisa.

Nagisa grinned sheepishly, sending her a thumbs up.

“See, this is why we have adults!” He exclaimed. “To keep us kids safe!”

“Nagisa, you’re 24-years-old,” Haru and I said together.

“That’s practically a child!”

Haru and I exchanged a look. Shaking my head, I ruffled Nagisa’s hair and pushed him forward.

“Come on,  _child_ , go hold Rei’s hand so you don’t get lost.”

After actually looking out for cars,  Nagisa skipped across the street to where an anxious-looking Rei was standing.

“Do you ever get the feeling that Nagisa is like a puppy trapped in a human’s body?” I asked, watching him drag Rei along.

“I can see that,” Haru agreed. “Age doesn’t make him mature.”

We walked for a few blocks, until we reached the street the tower was on. People flooded the entrance of the tower. I stood just outside the glass doors, tipping my head back to look all the way up. The top of the tower seemed miles away, which it probably was; I wasn’t really listening when Armin was spewing facts about it.

The tower alone seemed to be gleaming in the darkness. Even without the lights, the steel tower reflected the lights of the surrounding streets and buildings and shone brightly.

Someone nudging me in the back made me aware of my surroundings again.

“Don’t space out,” Sosuke said, leading me into the building.

The whole atmosphere changed when I stepped inside. The room was bathed in a blue light, with dots of white light across the ceiling, reminding me of stars. There were a couple of employees at the door, making sure we had our tickets, which we had paid for beforehand. After we were given the green light, we were led to a lift that would take us up and let us view the city. I made sure Haru was by my side before getting in. Our group and a lot of other people stepping on, but it was still spacious with how wide it was.

“Did you know that Trost Tower rivals the CN Tower in Canada, in terms of height?” Armin was saying. “It gets thousands of visitors every year, most of them being tourists. I guess the novelty wears off a bit when you live in the same city.”

“Everyone, stay clear of the doors as they close, please,” a guide said.

The doors closed, and a second later, the lift started to rise.

Everyone gathered at the circular windows. Gou’s camera immediately starting to click away. As we rose higher and higher, the buildings below got smaller. I heard Rei gasp somewhere to my left, and I had to second that reaction.

It was beautiful.

You never really notice how big a city is until you look at it from above. I could barely see the cars with how high up we were, but the city was like a maze of bright lights that twinkled as far as the eye could see. It was gorgeous against the backdrop of the dark night sky. I looked down at the city, and then up at the sky; the stars were visible and threatened to outshine the city lights with their beauty.

I heard the scratching of a pencil and look over. Haru was staring out the window with wide eyes, expression that of complete awe. He was writing something in his notepad without even looking down at it.

“Incredible,” he whispered, more to himself than to me.

“It is, isn’t it?” I said,leaning on the railing that separated us from the windows. “If only we could get married with a view like this.”

“We’ll come back on our wedding night,” Haru stated adamantly. He looked down at the notepad he was holding, already having filled several pages with what was no doubt a description of what it looked and felt like up here. “I want to see it with you again, Rin. As husbands.”

I grinned, running my fingers through his hair. “I like that idea. Will you make out with me then?”

Something flashed in his eyes, and then he was reaching forward and cupping the back of my head, bringing my lips to his with enthusiasm.

“Mmm!” I moaned in surprise.

My hands immediately went to his hips, and I tilted my head to the side to deepen the kiss. His lips moved passionately against my own, his fingers sliding into my hair as I wrapped my arms around him.

The snapping of a camera made us pull apart quickly. I knew I was blushing, remembering where we were. Haru and I both looked over to where a familiar giggle was coming from, only to find Gou, grinning broadly as she looked at the picture she had just taken.

“Gou, what the hell?” I complained, thoroughly embarrassed when I noticed our group’s eyes on us. Luckily, all the other tourists were distracted by the view.

“You wanted candid pictures, and I just couldn’t resist!” Gou said excitedly. “You two were just so cute!”

“I want a copy,” Haru said, to which Gou gave him a thumbs up.

I facepalmed; Haru was something else.

“Can you take a picture of all of us?” Sei asked, suddenly interested.

“I’ll take it, I’ll take it!” Hanji volunteered, bounding over to Gou. “You guys probably want a picture of the family first, right?”

Gou seemed reluctant to hand her prized camera over to Hanji - for good reason - but she eventually gave in when Erwin promised to monitor her. Then the twelve of us from Japan lined up in front of the window, with the cityscape behind us. Sei and Makoto, being the tallest, stood at the back. Next to them were Sosuke and Keiji, Keiji grinning broadly as he tried to fix his messy hair. Haru and I were in the middle, along with Mom, Rei, and Nagisa, who held up a peace sign while looping his arm through Rei’s. In front were  Momo, Ai, and Gou. I put my arm around Haru’s shoulder, and felt him wrap his own around my waist.

“Say cheese, everyone!” Hanji said.

“Cheese!” Some of the others said, laughing as they stared at the camera lens.

A fraction of a second before the picture was taken, I felt Haru’s breath on my ear as he whispered, “I love you, so much,” and then his lips were on my cheek and the picture was being taken.

“How frickin’ CUTE!” Hanji shouted, drawing everyone’s attention.

I looked at Haru instead, seeing him smiling fondly at me.

“I love you, too,” I stuttered out, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Now one of all of us!” Sasha said, to which Connie and Marco nodded enthusiastically.

They got some random guy who was only there to see the view agree to take the picture for us, and then it took like five minutes to get everyone settled. Erwin and the other tall ones were at the back, with the more average heighted ones in the middle. Levi was, of course, in front, and he didn’t look to happy about that. He made Eren stand next to him, not giving a fuck if Eren blocked anyone else.When everyone was finally settled, the guy took the picture. Gou immediately went to see it, nodding and giving it her approval before showing the rest of us.

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the pictures. There we all were, a mix of people that differed in so many ways, but were friends nonetheless, brought together by what was probably going to be the biggest event of my life.

And I had so many people to share it with.

* * *

 

The night before the wedding was supposed to take place, we were all gathered in Eren’s restaurant. It was closed to the public for the night, because Eren insisted on throwing this party for us. He wanted us to have fun before the main event tomorrow, and to try the food he and his chefs whipped up. He would be catering the ceremony tomorrow, too. It took a lot of arguing on my part, but I was finally able to make him accept payment for the whole deal, even though he was adamant about it being a ‘favor for a friend.’

Now, everyone was gathered in his gorgeous restaurant. Square black tables were spread out across the floor, with crisp white table cloths draped over them. The black chairs were comfortable as hell when we sat down, and the walls were decorated with beautiful artwork. The lighting was dimmed down a bit, giving the place a romantic feel. On a raised platform off to the side, there was a sleek grand piano that was obviously the one that Levi played when he performed here.

The restaurant was just the right amount of fancy, without making the more average folk feel out of place.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Eren said, dressed in his head chef outfit. “The appetizers will be out in a minute!” And then he disappeared behind the door that led to the kitchen.

A few waiters and waitresses came out to take our orders, all polite and cheerful as they explained what each dish was (some of them were written in German.) Then they sped off to get the appetizers.

At my table sat Haru, Sei, and Makoto, all dressed up and looking fine as fuck. Makoto, out of everyone, looked the happiest, his smile never fading.

“What’s got you all smiley?” I asked.

Makoto only beamed brighter, his eyes twinkling.

“Just, you know, excited for tomorrow,” he answered. For some reason, I got the feeling there was more to it than that.

I didn’t get to push further, because the appetizers came out right then. Eren told us they were pork sausage-stuffed mushrooms, and they looked and smelled amazing. A loud moan came from the table behind us, where Sasha was devouring the mushrooms like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. When I took a bite, I knew exactly how she felt, because it was like an explosion of flavors on my tongue.

“Can we take Eren back with us?” Sei asked, his eyes glazed over with how good the food was. “I’d cater to his every whim if he cooked for me everyday.”

“Hey, my cooking’s good too,” Makoto pouted playfully.

“I know it is, babe,” Sei commended, “but you need to try this. Your taste buds will die and go to heaven.”

Makoto took his word for it and tried the mushrooms, a dreamy look taking over his features as soon as it hit his tongue.

“We’re both bigger than him,” Makoto said. “We can kidnap him if we work together.”

Haru and I laughed at that, and then finished off the rest of the appetizers.

The main course was even better, and everyone kept telling Eren how amazing it all was and to thank his chefs, too. once everyone was stuffed and happy, we started striking up conversation and joking around, turning it into a real party.

I noticed Makoto checking his watch over and over again from the corner of my eye. Curious, I raised a brow.

“Waiting for something?” I asked.

Makoto grinned. “Oh, well… You’ll see.”

That’s all he said on the matter before making his way to Sei. Not entirely sure of what to make of that, I went back to Haru.

“Makoto’s acting weird.” I said. “He’s too happy.”

“Makoto’s always happy,” Haru said blankly.

I shook my head, trying to get him to see my point. “No, he’s happier than usual. And he keeps checking his watch. Something's definitely up.”

“Just be glad Nagisa’s not the one acting suspicious. At least Makoto’s surprises most likely won’t land us in jail.”

I had to agree with that. I shuddered at the thought of what Nagisa could have up his sleeve.

I forgot all about the issue when Jean struck up a conversation about art with me and Keiji. Marco, who stood by him, looked between us all with a pleasant look on his face. I could tell he didn’t understand a word we were saying, but was happy to see us getting along anyway.

“You have to make Rei wear those gag glasses!” Momo was saying enthusiastically.

“The ones with the nose and mustache?! Definitely!” Nagisa replied.

“What?! No, no Nagisa-kun, it’s a _wedding_ , for crying out loud!” Rei protested.

“Come one, Rei,” Momo said. “It’d be hilarious! And with that butterfly suit we saw the other day!”

“God, please help me,” Rei begged weakly.

“Um, can I have everyone’s attention?” Makoto called out loudly, cutting through the chatter. He was standing near the entrance of the restaurant, looking even more excited than before. “I have something to say!”

“Then get the hell on with it!” Levi called, making Hanji snort.

Makoto didn’t look the least bit put off by Levi’s interruption, continuing without missing a beat.

“I have a little surprise for the soon-to-be-married couple,” he said, peaking my interest. “But most of all, Haru.”

Haru stepped forward, looking as curious as I probably did, but waiting to speak until Makoto revealed what the surprise was. Makoto came over and took Haru’s hands in his own, smiling fondly.

“I promise, you’re going to love this,” he said.

Then Makoto nodded to Sei, who was holding a phone up to his ear. He said something into it and then pocketed the device, and Makoto squeezed Haru’s hands before stepping away.

We were all undoubtedly confused, but then our attention was caught by movement outside the restaurant. A moment later, the door opened, and in came four figures I recognized immediately.

“Haru-chan! Rin-chan!” Ren and Ran called together, rushing forward and tackling us with hugs.

“Oof!” I was almost knocked down by the force of it. The twins weren’t kids anymore, almost 17-years-old and practically as tall as me.

If I felt shocked, then Haru must’ve been blown away. His eyes were wide and his jaw was slack with surprise, his arms coming up to hug the twins back awhile later.

“Surprise!” Ran said, smiling brightly, Her long hair fell down her back and she winked at me. “Bet you didn’t see this coming.”

“Not at all,” I agreed, laughing.

Ren and Ran stepped to the side, moving to meet the others. In their place stood Makoto’s parents, his dad smiling kindly and his mom looking like she was on the verge of tears as she hugged Haru tightly.

“What, how…?” Haru asked, clearly taken aback.

“Oh, Haru-chan,” Mrs. Tachibana said. “We could never miss the most important day of your life. We’ll only be able to stay a week, because Ren and Ran have school, but we wanted to be here to support you.”

“Wow,” I said in awe. “Thanks so much, Tachibana-san. It means a lot.”

Haru nodded, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. His eyes were wet when he turned his gaze to Mr. Tachibana.

“We wanted it to be a surprise,” Mr. Tachibana said. “Well, it was Ran’s idea to make it a surprise. But you two are like family to us, and we couldn’t stay at home for this.” He looked Haru in the eye and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The restaurant was eerily quiet, and even though half the people here couldn’t understand what he was saying (since he was speaking Japanese and all), they all listened carefully anyway.

“Haru,” Mr. Tachibana said seriously. “If you’d let me, I’d like to walk you down the aisle tomorrow.”

Haru sucked in a breath, and I gaped. We hadn’t practiced for that; it was going to be me walking down the aisle with Mom, since Haru’s parents weren’t going to be there. Haru, stunned speechless, looked to me for an answer. I nodded frantically, urging him to go along with it.

It would be fitting, to say the least. Haru walked into my life that day, all cool and composed with his silent beauty. This time, he’d be walking into my life all flustered and emotional, ready to spend forever with me.

“I, yes, I,” he stuttered, overwhelmed. He took a deep breath to calm himself , then said  very clearly, “I would love that, Tachibana-san.”

Mr. Tachibana smiled, then swept Haru into a bone crushing hug. Everyone cheered, and then Mrs. Tachibana was hugging me too.

“I know you have and you always will,” she said, “but please, take good care of our son.”

There were definitely tears in Haru’s eyes now, and I could feel them swimming in my own, too. Looking over her head and locking my gaze onto Haru’s, I only had one answer for her.

“Till death do us apart.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I could art, I would draw the pictures they took in Trost Tower. Also, I'm a sap so I make everything sappy.


	10. Endlessly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding day is here, and everyone can barely contain their excitement. For Rin and Haru, it's the day they finally make it official.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Copious amounts of sappiness may cause severe vomiting. Read at your own risk.

Haru and I spent that night apart on Mom’s insistence. Something about “You shouldn’t see each other the morning before the ceremony!” or something. Honestly, Mom, we’ve been living together for years. What difference did it make?

But it was easier to go along with it. I returned to Eren and Levi’s place, and Armin put up Haru for the night. It was weird going to bed alone after all these years, knowing that Haru wasn’t just working on something in the other room and wouldn’t be coming to sleep next to me. Thankfully, though, I managed to pass out quickly. I was tired from the day’s events. Makoto really knew how to surprise someone, and we’d partied long after the Tachibanas arrived.

After what felt like minutes after I fell asleep, I was woken up rudely by a loud banging on my door.

“Rise and shine, bride to be!” Eren’s voice called out from the other side of the door. “Breakfast’s ready and your best man’s here!”

Groaning, I dragged myself out of bed.

“‘M not a fuckin’ bride,” I grumbled as I opened the door.

Eren stood there with a huge grin on his face and an apron wrapped around his waist.

“Definitely not,” he said after one look at me. “Brides are supposed to be beautiful. Your ugly mug doesn’t cut it. Christa’s going to be so much prettier than you when she gets married.”

He stepped back with a laugh when I halfheartedly swung at him.

“Aww, grumpy without your lil’ Haru-bear to kiss you good morning?” He teased. “Don’t worry, you’ll see him soon enough.”

I grumbled curses at him under my breath as he walked away laughing. Sighing, I trudged down the hall to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and washing my face before heading to the kitchen. Nerves were bubbling up in my stomach, but I stomped them down. The ceremony wasn’t until later. For now, I could focus on a nice breakfast.

In the kitchen, Sosuke sat on the stool at the island where Haru usually sat. I slipped into my seat next to him, looking down at the plate of eggs and bacon that sat before me.

“Try to eat some,” Sosuke said. I noticed he didn’t have a plate in front of him; he must have eaten before he came. “But not much. Don’t want you puking it out later.”

I poked around at my eggs and bacon, not feeling particularly hungry. My stomach was a mess of nerves and anxiety. It was stupid, really. I’d been with Haru for over four years already. Today was just going to make it official, nothing else. And yet, the pre-wedding jitters were really getting to me.

Sosuke and Eren made pleasant conversation while I ate. I only ate what I could stomach, pushing the rest away.

“Thanks for the food,” I said. “Levi not here?”

Eren shook his head, leaning his elbow on the counter and placing his chin in his hand.

“He’s already at the park with Erwin, Hanji, Christa, and your mom.”

I nodded, taking in a shaky breath. Sosuke noticed my behavior and smiled softly.

“Nervous?” He asked.

I ran my fingers through my hair to try and calm myself. “It’s stupid, right? We’ve already been together for so long.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Pshh, you shoulda seen me at my wedding. I was totally convinced that Levi was gonna back out of it and realize I’m not good enough, even though we’d been together for so long. I had all these crazy ideas in my head. I only got a grip when Armin and Mikasa shook me hard enough.”

That got a laugh out of me. Somehow, Eren’s story made me feel a little better. I knew Haru wouldn’t back out - not after everything we’d been through together - but it was comforting all the same to know my nerves were normal.

Eren clapped me on the shoulder in support. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Now go get ready, you’ve only got a few hours to look your best for him.”

“Thanks, Eren,” I said sincerely, before standing and following Sosuke back to my borrowed room. I closed the door behind me and Sosuke turned to face me.

“It’s about 11:30 now,” Sosuke said, looking at the clock. “We have to be there at around 2:45, so we’ve got a little over three hours to work with”

“Right,” I said determinedly. “What first?”

“Go take a shower. We can get to work when you don’t smell like ass.”

I playfully kicked him in the shin, gathering up some clean clothes and going to shower. I tried not to take too long, but the warm water was soothing, and I let my thoughts drift. I would be getting married to Haru today.

A thrill shot through me at the thought.

When I deemed myself clean enough, I turned off the water and patted myself dry. I slipped on my clothes before heading back to the room.

Sosuke was setting up a pillow on the ground in front of the body-mirror. He looked over to me as he plugged my familiar hair dryer in.

“Sit down,” he ordered. “Gou and your mom have trusted me to make you presentable, so I’m going to make you look fucking fantastic.”

I raised my brow, going to sit cross-legged on the pillow, facing the mirror. “When did you become a beautician?”

“About two minutes ago.”

While I wondered if my precious hair would survive Sosuke’s make-over, he kneeled behind me and turned on the blowdryer. He took some of my wet hair in hand and started to dry it, his expression that of intense focus. While I waited for him to finish, I unlocked my phone. I was a little offended to find that I had no text messages. What shitty friends, not even wishing me luck. I mean, I’d see them soon anyway, but it was the principle of the thing.

When Sosuke finished drying my hair, he ran a comb through it, My hair was a little bit longer than before, and it framed my face lightly. When he was done combing it, Sosuke put his hands on his hips and nodded.

“Perfect,” he stated.

I gaped at him in the mirror. “You literally didn’t do shit to it.”

“Exactly. The best style is no style at all.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re so full of bullshit.”

Sosuke smacked my shoulder playfully. “You should be thankful for me even being here, otherwise you’d be freaking out all alone.”

Well, he had a point there.

His presence made me feel more relaxed. I wasn’t so anxious anymore, a lot more calmer and grateful for Sosuke’s joking attitude right now.

We joked around some more as Sosuke and I fixed minor things about ourselves - for me, that meant plucking my eyebrows and changing some of my earrings. I kept the silver hoops in my right ear, but changed the ones in my left ear to two studs, both of them sparkling white. It was going to be a sunny day, so they’d reflect the light pretty well.

When it came time to change, Sosuke and I turned our backs to each other and stripped. Sosuke had long since gotten over his crush for me, and now easily threw me my slacks while I stood there in nothing but my underwear.

I slipped the slacks on, then put on my white dress shirt.

“Need help with the tie?” Sosuke asked, as I struggled with the damned thing.

I gave a dramatic sigh and let my arms fall by my sides. Sosuke smirked and took a hold of the tie, properly tying it for me. After that, I buttoned up the black vest, and slipped on the perfectly-cut black jacket. Sosuke was just about done too, straightening his own tie in the mirror. He looked great, the teal tie bringing out his eyes. He looked good dressed formally.

With my suit on, the nerves were back. We had to be out of the house soon, and then we’d be heading for the park. And then I’d be getting _married._

“Hey,” Sosuke said gently. I looked over to find his eyes on me. He looked like he knew exactly what was going through my head. “You’ve got nothing to be nervous for. You guys practiced for this, right? The only difference now will be that you’re all dressed up and Gou will be taking pictures.”

I swallowed, nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a second. When I opened them again, I gave Sosuke my biggest grin. “You know, I’m glad that out of all the neighborhood kids I could have made friends with, it was you.”

Sosuke’s eyes widened and he seemed a little shocked for a moment, but then his expression morphed into a playful smirk.

“You mean, out of all the kids who could’ve found you crying like a baby because you scraped your knee, you’re glad it was me?” He teased.

I frowned, flipping him off. “I’m trying to be a good, honest, appreciative friend, and you just have to go and ruin it.”

Sosuke grinned. “I’m not a sap like you, Rin.” Right after he said that, though, his cheeks flushed and he looked away. “Well… I’m not as big of a sap as you, okay?”

I was a little confused, watching silently as Sosuke went to his bag and pulled something out.

“Keiji and I already got you guys a wedding present, of course, but…” He turned around and held out something in his palm. “I made these.”

They were bracelets, resting in the palm of his hand. They were made of what looked like thin string. The black one was woven together expertly, making the bracelet thicker and stronger. The black string weaved around a single red string that ran through the center, more black string tying the red to the black in some places. It was tied off with the ends protruding out a little. At both ends of the bracelet were single blue beads. The other bracelet was the exact same thing, except it was white instead of black.

“Keiji taught me how to make them,” Sosuke explained, obviously embarrassed. He refused to look at me. “Friendship bracelets, you know?”

I could feel my grin slowly forming. “Sosuke. You made us friendship bracelets. You _made_ us _friendship_ bracelets. That’s the gayest thing you've ever done.”

Sosuke faced me with a blank expression. “The gayest thing I’ve done is fuck my boyfriend,” he deadpanned, and I was horrified at the sudden image. “Now take the damn bracelet.”

Laughing, I took the black one, and he tied it around my right wrist. I did the same for him with the white one. Staring down at my own, I couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s beautiful,” I admitted. I caught his eye and raised my wrist. “Thanks, Sosuke.”

Smiled smiled broadly, raising his own wrist to bump it with mine. “Friends forever, yeah?”

“Definitely.”

Sosuke glanced over to the clock again, which read 2:21, and went to get his dress shoes.

“Right,” he said as he slipped on his shoes. “Get your shoes, it’s just about time to go.”

I went to my closet to get them. My brow furrowed when I found that they weren’t there. Deciding that I probably hadn’t taken them out of my bag in the first place, I went to check the one bag that still had some of the things I hadn't unpacked. I rummaged through it, but came up empty again.

Mom had kept my suit for safe keeping and had given it to me last night. But my shoes were something that I was supposed to pack myself. Heart hammering, I searched everywhere in the room that I could think of.

“Um, Sosuke?”

“Hm?” He hummed in question, looking up from his phone.

I slowly stood up from my spot on the floor. “I think I forgot to pack my shoes.”

...o0o...

**Haru**

On the outside, I was calm as Makoto fussed over my clothes.

On the inside, my heart was going wild as I thought of the next couple of hours.

“Haru?” Makoto asked.

“Yeah?” I said, looking up at him.

He smiled, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Relax, you don’t need to panic.”

I frowned. “I’m not.”

Makoto only smiled wider. “Haru, I can always tell what you’re thinking. You can’t hide it from me.”

I sighed, giving up on pretending. My shoulders slumped and I stared at the floor.

“Sometimes I wonder… Do I really deserve all this?”

“Haru!” Makoto gasped. “Why would you think that? Of course you deserve it!”

“I’m not exactly the most lovable person,” I argued. “I’m quiet and blunt, and I don’t communicate well.”

“Hey, look at me.” I reluctantly did so. Makoto’s expression was soft, and he looked at me as if I just didn’t understand. “You’re so much more than that, you know? You’re a little awkward, yeah, but you’re an incredible person. You’ve always been there for me, and you look out for everyone. You get mad for us. Remember that time last year when some guy badmouthed Nagisa? You were ready to rip his throat out even though Nagisa could’ve easily scarred him for life, and Rin was getting his fist ready.”

I bit back a smile at the memory. I really had been livid, standing up quickly and slamming my fist down on the table. Everyone had been surprised.

“And you write!” Makoto continued. “I still have that book you wrote me, you know? There are so many good things about you, Haru. It would take me months to list them all.”

A flush rose to my cheeks, but I still couldn’t give up the issue. It all felt so surreal.

“I just can’t believe that Rin wants to marry me, of all people. We’re so different.”

“That’s why you two work out so well,” Makoto chuckled. “I’m more soft-spoken, and Sei’s loud. Opposites do attract sometimes. And you know what? I’m going to marry Sei someday, Haru. For no other reason than the fact that I love him. And Rin loves you. So, so much.”

For some reason, there was a pressure behind my eyes. I rubbed them, silently berating myself for getting emotional.

“And out of everyone,” Makoto said softly. “If anyone deserves this, Haru, it’s you.”

I opened my mouth to choke back a reply, but a knock on the door interrupted me.

“Haru-nii?” Came Kou’s voice. “Do you have a minute?”

“I’ll see you downstairs, okay?” Makoto said to me.

I nodded, but before Makoto could walk to the door, I grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug.

“I love you, Makoto,” I whispered.

Makoto hugged me back just as tightly. “I love you too, Haru.” When he pulled back, he beamed happily at me. “Now, I think someone else wants to tell you how much she loves you.”

With that, he walked to the door and opened it to reveal Kou, all dressed up and looking beautiful.

“Makoto-senpai! Sorry, I’m not interrupting, am I?” She asked.

“Not at all,” Makoto replied. “We’re just about ready, so just meet me downstairs when you’re done. I’ll keep Armin company in the meanwhile.”

“Okay, we won’t take long!”

Makoto left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone with Kou. All at once, she grinned and launched herself at me, grabbing my hands.

“I can’t believe this is finally happening!” She gushed. “I figured we wouldn’t really have time to talk later, so I just wanted to say a few things before we left.”

“And what’s that?” I asked, curiosity peaked.

Kou just stared at my face for a moment, as if memorizing my features. Her hold on my hands tightened.

“I’m just… I’m really glad you’re the one my brother fell in love with,” she stated, shocking me to the core. “You’re really good for him, Haru-nii.”

I smiled shyly, huffing a laugh. “He’s good for me, too.”

“Do you wanna know when I first realized that he was in love with you?”

I raised my brows, silently urging her to continue.

“It was right before the Halloween party at Sei’s. Remember, the day when Sosuke kissed Onii-chan?”

Of course. There was no way I could ever forget that day.

“Well, we were sitting together in his apartment,” Gou continued. “And he told me something, something that’s really important to us. He said that he told you about what happened to our dad.”

My eyes widened. The memories were coming back to me: Rin crying on my shoulder,  his cheeks stained with tears of grief. “You're not weak because you show sadness, Rin. Emotions are what make us human,” I had said.

“Onii-chan doesn’t share those kind of things with just anyone. You have to be important.” She giggled, shaking her head. “He was so smitten since he met you, and that was the cherry on top. I knew he was in love, and he has been for year now.”

I was smiling, now. Rin… He felt so strongly even then. He trusted me enough to share the death of his father with me. He cried on my shoulder, and I was there to hold him. Just as I have been for the past few years.

“And I…” Gou said. Her voice got softer, and she looked down at our hands. “I’m glad he’s got you now. Mom doesn’t have anyone to share her feelings and sadness with all the time, and I can handle it on my own. But Onii-chan, he’s always tried bottling it up so he could be there for us. He’s strong, but I know he used to cry alone. But now he doesn’t have to. He has you, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more for him.”

“You’re a good sister, Kou,” I said sincerely.

She looked up, tears in her eyes but a smile on her face.

“All I’ve ever wanted is my family to be happy,” she whispered. “You have no idea how much you’ve made that wish come true. I’m so glad I can call you my family for real, now.”

It was like something finally gave in my heart. Like something finally fit into its place and made everything feel so much more complete. As an only child, I’ve never known what it's like to have siblings. And yet here was Kou, someone I could truly call my family now, and I suddenly realized that having a sister was a blessing.

In her own way, she had been holding her family together and keeping their spirits up. I thanked the heavens, the stars, the universe that I got to call her my sister as well.

“Me too, Kou,” I agreed. “I couldn’t have asked for a better family.”

She threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly and laughing happily in my ear. A broad smile on my lips, I hugged her back.

Any nerves that I had before, any self doubt that was lingering, was all gone now. I had only one thought in mind.

“Let’s go and get you married, Haru-nii!”

...o0o...

**Rin**

We pulled up to Trost Central Park right on time.

Other than the rest of our group’s cars, the street was deserted thanks to Christa. She had managed to reserve the park for the ceremony, so it was going to be just us with no passerby to interrupt.

Eren parked the car across the street, behind what I recognized to be Erwin’s BMW. I got out and smoothed the fabric of my slacks. Taking a deep breath,  I followed Eren and Sosuke across the street to the park.

Saying it was beautiful would be an understatement. We had been here a lot in the past few weeks, but each time it was more stunning than the last.

The park was big, to begin with. The lush green grass was trimmed and the walkways weaved through the park as if begging to be followed. The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky, and daylight lit up the ground and made it look like a painting Keiji would have created. Trees dotted the park, their branches filled with bright pink cherry blossoms. The sakura were in full bloom, their petals scattering in the breeze every now and then. It was like a dream come true for me.

We headed for where the others were already gathered. Gleaming white chairs sat in rows on either side of the aisle, already filling up with our friends. A white carpet went down the aisle and led up to the ‘altar.’ It was just an arch, though, made of branches and pink flowers that we would be standing beneath. Farther off, I spotted the tables where we would be dancing and eating later.

The atmosphere was filled with excitement. Nagisa, dressed sharply in his tux, was off to the side with Rei and the others. They were looking at the screen of a laptop, which sat perched on a small stool. No doubt it was the Scarlet Ink crew; they had probably closed the parlor for a while to be able to witness the ceremony. Everyone was gathered, chatting as they waited for things to start. They all looked great, dressed in tuxedos and suits, the women stunning in their dresses. Gou was nowhere to be found, which was kind of odd. I had expected her to show up early to get her cameras set up. Haru and Makoto weren’t here yet, but were probably on their way.

“Tell me those aren’t sneakers on your feet,” Mom begged as she came up to us.

I gave her an innocent grin. “It’s the latest fashion, Mom.” Mom closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Okay, so I _might_ have forgotten to pack my dress shoes. But, hey! You look great!”

And she really did. Mom had on a white sleeveless dress, along with the pearl necklace and earrings Dad had gotten her way back when. Mom didn’t care for the compliment, though, glaring daggers at me.

“I can’t believe my only son is going to get married in red Converse beneath his slacks,” she groaned.

Sosuke and Eren snickered quietly at my side. I scowled at them, but was thankfully saved from anymore of Mom’s scrutiny when a voice behind us called, “Onii-chan!”

I turned around to find Gou running up to us, a bag over her shoulder. How she could run in six-inch heels, I’d never know. Her red, flowing dress went nicely with her hair, which was curled and fell loosely around her shoulders.

As soon as she reached us, Gou launched herself forward and hugged me.

“This is so exciting!” She squealed. “Oh, just wait till you see Haru-nii! He looks amazing!”

So that’s where she had been. Gou let go of me and started digging through her bag. She pulled out a tripod and a camera, along with a second camera that she hung around her neck.

“I should get set up!” She said, and then dashed off.

Christa detached herself from the group and came over. “Are you all ready?” She asked. Her light blue dress brought out her eyes, and she smiled radiantly when she saw me. “Rin, you look great!”

“You look even better,” I said truthfully.

“We should get started,” Levi stated. When I finally noticed him, I could barely hold back a laugh.

It’s not that he looked bad, not at all, he was just so refined-looking that it was hard to believe that he was a fan of toilet humor. His hair was combed and parted precisely, not a strand out of place. His black shoes gleamed beneath his slacks. And the kicker was his tuxedo. It wasn’t styled like Eren’s; no, Levi’s tux was black with fucking _coattails_. He looked like some old Victorian butler. Somehow, it suited him.

“What the hell are you looking at, brat?” Levi said to me.

I waved a hand in front of my face. “Nothing, nothing. So, about getting started…”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Just give me the signal to start,” he said, and walked off. There was a piano off to the side, and he took his place there.

“Right, let’s do this,” Sosuke said.

Eren went to tell the others, taking the laptop and placing it beside the aisle seat on my side. Everyone was buzzing with excitement as Christa walked to the front, standing on a small stool at the arch (she was way shorter than Haru and I and would need a boost.) All of a sudden, there was a hushed silence, and our friends filed down the aisle and into their seats one by one.

Nagisa, Rei, and Makoto’s family went to sit on Haru’s side. Keiji, I noticed with a smile, joined them. Sei, Momo, and Ai sat in the front row on my side. Our American friends chose whichever side they wanted, but by the time everyone was settled, the seats were practically full of people. Next, Sosuke went and took his spot as my Best Man, and that left just me and Mom.

My heart was racing, the nerves were twisting in my stomach, but Mom smiled warmly at me and took my arm. Christa gave Levi a silent signal, and the soft notes of the piano floated across the park. The notes were sweet and romantic, melding together in a slow harmony of music that made this moment ten times more powerful.

With Mom’s arm linked with mine, I walked down the aisle to my spot at the altar. Mom kissed my forehead and patted my cheek before going to take her seat next to Sei. I could see Gou already taking pictures; her other camera was propped up on the tripod, no doubt recording everything.

And then my attention was drawn to the end of the aisle. There was Haru, and the breath caught in my throat for a moment as I stared at him. I paid no attention to Makoto as he took his spot as Haru’s Best Man. My eyes were made only for the gorgeous beauty who was linking arms with Mr. Tachibana.

Levi’s music surged in intensity for a moment as Haru walked down the aisle to me. Our eyes met, and I hoped he understood what I was silently trying to tell him.

_You look beautiful._

A gust of wind blew at that moment, and sakura petals scattered in the breeze. In my mind, I filed away that image forever: Haru, dressed in a navy blue tux with a matching vest, a white dress shirt and a black bow tie, his hair ruffled by the wind and cherry blossoms fluttering around him.

He took his spot and Mr. Tachibana hugged him before taking a seat by his wife. Haru and I faced each other, just staring at each other with small smiles. Haru’s eyes scanned over me, taking in my appearance and apparently liking what he saw, if the bite of his lip was anything to go by.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” Christa began.

I zoned out for a little while, lost in my own head as I held hands with Haru. This was really happening. I couldn’t believe that after spending so much time confused about what to do with my life, I finally had a successful tattoo parlor going and was getting married to the love of my life. It was all so unbelievable.

When it came time for the vows, I, eloquent as always, blurted out, “You look fucking hot.”

Everyone laughed as I blushed. Haru held my sweaty hands tighter, chuckling softly.

“Er, what I mean is,” I continued. “I didn’t really write any vows. I’m not a poet like you, Haru, but I can say ‘I love you’ as well as any writer can. Anyone who knows you knows that you’re a beautiful person, inside and out. I thought I was living a pretty happy life before you walked into it, but when you showed up in your dumb sweaters and ordered your dumb coffee, I finally knew what real happiness was. Real happiness is bickering with you over what to have for dinner. It’s running after Sora in the snow with you when his leash breaks free. It’s waking up to your dumb, gorgeous face every morning and coming back home to you every night. Real happiness is knowing that no matter what happens in the future, you’ll always be there by my side. And I’ll always be there for you, too, Haru. I’ll never let you face your problems alone, even if you think you’ve got a hold of them. Because I love you, so I’ll always be supporting you silently and loudly. I might be the crybaby in this relationship, but I’ll always give you my shoulder to cry on.”

Haru’s smile was blinding by the time I finished. He looked at me like I was his whole world, just like he was mine.

“Well, I _am_ a writer, but I didn’t write my vows, either,” Haru said. “If I spent the time writing about you on paper, Rin, then I’d be filling up hundreds of pages. No, I didn’t write my vows, because this feels more genuine. I can just pour my heart out to you, and I know you’ll listen.”

I was a bit surprised that Haru hadn’t written anything, but his decision made sense. And he was right; he could talk for ages, and I’d listen to his every word no matter what.

“I love you, Rin, because you’ve touched my heart in the best of ways. When I was lacking courage to face my problems, you were there, supporting me in whichever way you could. When I was wondering about my worth and hurting about being thrown away, you were there, telling me how much you loved me and how I deserved more.” Haru’s smile softened, and there was love, plain as day, showing in his eyes. “I knew you were special when you started to bleed into my writing. And so I wrote about red, its passion and warmth, and I knew I was falling, but I refused to catch myself. Falling for you was the best thing that could have happened to me.

“And so, Rin, I vow to show you just as much love as you have showed me. I promise, until the day that death do us apart, I will never let you face anything alone. I'll be _your_ shoulder to cry on, I’ll be the one you can always come to, in good times and bad. Because I love you, and being in love with you is a beautiful thing.”

I knew I was crying. I’d sworn that I wouldn’t, but how could I not after that? Tears trailed down my cheeks, and I sniffled as Haru’s hand rose to wipe them away fondly.

On Christa’s cue, we exchanged the rings. Still sniffling, I took a ring from Makoto and held Haru’s left hand, slowly sliding the ring onto Haru’s finger. He did the same to me, the light weight of the ring resting comfortably on my finger.

“I now pronounce you Husband and Husband!” Christa said. “You may now kiss!”

Haru’s hands left my own and rose to my face. He put his palms on my cheeks, and my hands went to his waist.

“I love you,” I whispered one last time, and then our lips met in our first kiss as a married couple.

There was cheering, and I was pretty sure that was Nagisa wolf-whistling. I pressed my lips to Haru’s gently, kind of like our first kiss, just feeling his soft, supple lips against my own. When we broke apart, I rested my forehead against Haru’s.

“I love you, too,” he whispered back.

Afterwards, we exchanged hugs with everyone. Gou hugged us both at the same time, her cheeks tear-stained, too. Then she pecked us both on the cheek and demanded to take pictures. So we did. We took one with Gou, and then with Mom, and then all of us as a family. And then our friends joined in too, all of us struggling to cram in together before the timer on the camera ran out.

“Congrats!” Kagami said on Skype, as we migrated over to the where the tables were set up. “You guys are finally married now. You’ve got each other’s name on your skin, and a ring to go with it.”

I was grinning like a maniac with Haru by my side. The rest of the Scarlet Ink crew gave their congrats too, before signing off. We milled around for a while, letting everyone congratulate us. Makoto wrapped me in a tight, warm hug that left me struggling for breath.

“Thank you,” he whispered in my ear. “For making him so happy.”

“I didn’t do it alone,” I whispered right back. “I have all of you to thank for making him happy, too.”

Makoto beamed happily, before getting shoved to the side by Nagisa. The little blond launched himself at me, and I barely caught him without falling down. He wrapped his arms and legs around me, sticking to me like a squid.

“Rin-chaaaaan!” He bawled. He was crying openly while I just stood there, bewildered. “That was so sweet and you and Haru-chan are so sweet and I’m really happy that you’re married and I hope you guys stay happy and have like eight babies together and -”

“Nagisa, breathe!” I urged, cutting him off.

He took a deep breath before babbling again, and I looked helplessly over his shoulder at Rei. To my surprise, Rei was smiling and shaking his head, like he was at peace with the world.

When I finally got Nagisa off me, I was tackled by Momo while Sei ruffled my hair. I was pulled on by everyone, and somehow, all of us ended up in a giant group hug, with me and Haru in the middle. All I could do was laugh.

When the food was served, Eren and his employees made sure we had the best meals we ever had. With the huge variety of food came champagne, and while I didn’t really like drinking, I had a little bit in honor of the occasion. We ate and chatted, and Haru didn’t let go of my hand  the whole time.

Eren set a giant, three-tier cake in front of us, which he said he baked himself. On top of the cake, where there would usually be a bride and a groom, were a plastic shark and dolphin. Fitting, to say the least. Haru fed me a piece, and I fed him some too, and then everyone dug in. It was great, seeing everyone so happy, especially Mom. She looked ten years younger. Levi played a complicated tune on the piano, but when I asked him what it was, he just said, “My own shit, now shut up and enjoy it.” And I really did.

As the sun started to set, the lights in the park came on. We were all stuffed, and music played in the background, a playlist we had composed just for the occasion. Makoto, who had been smiling all day, wiggled out of Sei’s grasp and stood up. He picked up his glass of champagne and tapped it lightly with his spoon, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I think it’s time for the Best Man speeches, I’d say,” he said, eyeing Sosuke. “This is such a big day for both Rin and Haru, and I’d like to share with you all the story of a Haru as I’ve known him all my life.”

Nagisa snickered, getting a glare from Haru. Fuck, if Sosuke talked about me too, then I could only imagine the embarrassing things he’d say. But right now, everyone looked interested in hearing what Makoto had to say. Especially our American friends, who didn’t know him that well.

“I’ve known Haru since we were in diapers,” Makoto began, and Haru held my hand just a little bit tighter. “We grew up as neighbors, as the best of friends. He’s always been a bit of an introvert. He rarely lets anyone into his heart, but when he does, he cherishes them. For the longest time, I was the only one he let get near him.” Makoto paused them, collecting his thoughts before he continued. “When Haru was little, he lost his grandmother. She was the most important person in his life. She always supported him, she encouraged him to write because that’s what he loved to do, and Haru loves her to pieces to this day. When she passed, I noticed him starting to retreat into his shell again. And I couldn’t have that. Because Haru’s an incredible person, and I wanted the whole world to know that. So I got even closer to him, and we spent as much time as we could together. It got to the point where he wouldn’t have to talk and I’d know exactly what he meant, and the same vice versa. And even now, Haru and I are like brothers, so that’s why I can tell you stories about him knowing full well it’ll embarrass him.”

“Makoto,” Haru warned, but Makoto just winked.

“When we were ten, Haru really got into swimming. He loved it almost as much as he loved writing things for class. One day, we went to swimming lessons at the local community center, and Haru dived into the pool like it was his home. What he didn’t notice, though, was that his jammers had gotten caught on something and ripped clean off. Haru just kept swimming, even though he was only wearing a swimming cap and goggles.”

Everyone laughed, and Haru just sighed. He had resigned to his fate, though he did give me a look when I laughed along.

Makoto told a few more stories that had everyone dying of laughter before bringing his speech to a close.

“But no matter what Haru does,” he said, looking straight at Haru. “No matter how blunt or quiet or reserved he is, he’s my best friend, my family, and I love him. Haru really is something special.”

Haru discreetly wiped at his eyes as Makoto sat down. And then Sosuke stood up, and I groaned in dismay at the shit-eating grin he wore.

“Now it’s my turn,” he announced. “And you know I’m going to embarrass the fuck out of Rin because this motherfucker deserves it.”

I flipped him off when Mom wasn’t looking.

“I’ve known Rin since we were kids, too,” Sosuke said. “And like Haru, he lost someone close to him: his Dad. I knew it hurt him, but he always kept up a brave face because he wanted to be there for his mom and little sister. Rin may look mean, but he cares about his family and would do anything for them. And I realized just how great he was when I fell in love with him.”

I wasn’t expecting Sosuke to bring that up, but he didn’t look upset. He was smiling, as if these memories were something he looked back on fondly now.

“Rin’s outgoing and fun, and he just draws you in,” Sosuke continued. “How could you not fall in love with him? Whether it be romantic or platonic, everyone who gets to know Rin loves him for his attitude and kind heart. I loved him for years, and I can’t say I was too happy when Nanase showed up at the cafe and turned Rin into a lovestruck puppy.” Haru smirked at that. “Haru and I never got along at first, and I’ll admit it was because of my jealousy. I just didn’t get why Rin would like him, of all people, when he had known me for so much longer. But what I didn’t know was that Haru gave Rin the one thing he was looking for: the inspiration and drive to make life worthwhile. I watched these two dance around each other for a while, and I started to understand.

“But Rin’s oblivious as fuck, so it fell on Haru to make him see that he liked him too. And these two became the sappiest couple I’ve ever known. Okay, second sappiest; number one goes to Sei and Makoto.”

Sei grinned and pumped his fist in the air in victory.

“But long before Rin and Haru ever met, Rin went through his angsty teenager faze,” Sosuke said with a smirk. Oh God, no. Please, anything but that. “He got mad at everything, and he went through most of high school being a huge dick. He didn’t settle down until he accepted that he _liked_ dicks. Sorry for the language, Matsuoka-san.”

Mom waved off his apology. “No, it’s completely true. Keep going.”

I looked at Mom with pure betrayal, but she ignored me.

“When Rin finally accepted he was gay,” Sosuke went on, “he gave in and accepted the ‘punk’ side of himself, too. He got piercings, and even a tattoo. And let me tell you, seeing Rin cry while getting a tattoo is the funniest thing. Though not as funny as that one time he fell asleep in biology and I tied his shoelaces together. When the teacher called on him, he jerked awake and stood up, then fell flat on his face. It was priceless.”

I cursed Sosuke in my head the whole time he was telling stories. Though, I had to admit, I couldn’t help but laugh too. We had some good times together, and the others chimed in with their own stories too. Ran got teased for her old crush on me, and all in all, it was fun.

“The grooms have to dance!” Mom announced.

I exchanged looks with Haru before standing and offering him a hand.

“Well, Haru. Care for a dance?”

Haru smiled and took my hand, rising to his feet. Someone switched the track on the stereo, and I started laughing.

“You remember this song, Haru?” I asked, putting one hand on his hip while he placed his on my shoulder.

_There's a shop down the street,_

_Where they sell plastic rings,_

_For a quarter a piece, I swear it,_

Haru grinned back, standing close. “Of course I do. It always reminds me of you. I still have the CD you gave me.”

_Yeah, I know that it's cheap,_

_Not like gold in your dreams,_

_But I hope that you'll still wear it._

We started swaying to the music, eyes locked onto each other.

_Yeah, the ink may stain my skin,_

_And my jeans may all be ripped,_

_I'm not perfect, but I swear,_

_I'm perfect for you._

“I can’t believe you showed up in Converse sneakers,” Haru laughed. “Only you would do something like that.”

“It’s part of my charm, don’t you think?”

Haru pressed a chaste kiss to my lips. “Yeah, Rin. It is. And I love that about you, too.”

He laid his head on my shoulder, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I pulled him close to me with my arm around his back.

_And there's no guarantee,_

_That this will be easy,_

_It's not a miracle you need, believe me,_

“Hey, Haru?” I whispered.

“Hmm?” He hummed back, relaxed as he swayed in my arms.

“I can’t wait to spend forever with you.”

I felt his lips curl into a smile against my lips, and then he pulled back a bit too look at me. His eyes, blue as the depths of the ocean, held his response before he even said it.

“Me either, Rin. Me either.”

_Yeah, I'm no angel, I'm just me,_

_But I will love you endlessly,_

_Wings aren't what you need, you need me._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost there, guys. Almost there.


	11. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin is thankful for many things; his job, his friends, his life in general. But most of all, he's thankful for his family.

**_Five Years Later_ **

As I turned the key in the lock, I was grateful to be out of the suffocating summer heat. The inside of our home was cool, always kept a nice temperature for Sora. Stepping inside brought sweet, sweet relief.

“I’m home!” I called as I toed off my shoes.

No answer. No Sora barking happily, or Hiro coming to curl around my legs. No voices. Curious, I peeked into the sitting room to find it empty.

“Haru?” I asked as I stuck my head into the kitchen. The dishes were all washed and put away, the sink empty. Haru was nowhere in sight.

I didn’t hear any movement upstairs, so that left me with only one option. I made my way to back door. When I opened it, I was immediately assaulted with the sounds of laughter. I grinned, happiness bubbling up at the sight before me. For the millionth time in the last two years, I sent a silent thanks to my sister for giving me what I had today.

Two years ago, Gou had asked me a question that would change my life forever.

_ “Are you thinking about adopting?” She asked me seriously from her spot on the cushion across from me. I raised my brows in surprise. _

_ “Uh, Haru and I were talking about it, but we don’t know yet,” I said. “Why?” _

_ Gou looked down at her cup of tea, and then nodded to herself before looking me dead in the eye. _

_ “I’ll do it for you.” She said with determination. _

_ “Do what?” I asked in confusion. She couldn’t file adoption papers for us. I was a little lost, to say the least. _

_ “I’ll be the surrogate,” Gou announced. Before I could stutter a response, she continued. “That way, the baby can have both yours and Haru-nii’s blood. I don’t want kids of my own, but for you, Onii-chan, I’d do it. I want you guys to be happy.” _

_ I floundered for a response, completely taken aback by her offer. _

_ “Are you sure?” I asked, still unbelieving. “This is a big deal, Gou.” _

_ “I know!” She said forcefully. “Trust me, I’ve thought about this a lot. I’d be happy to be the surrogate, so you and Haru-nii can raise a kid together. I’ve been thinking about this for months now. I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t sure.” _

_ Completely shocked by what she was saying, I let myself gather my thoughts before replying. _

_ “Well,” I said, smiling. “I’ll talk to Haru and see what he thinks about it.” _

And I had talked to Haru. We’d talked with Gou too, and soon enough, things were starting to change.

All for the better, of course.

Now, as I stood looking out over our yard, I felt like the happiest guy on Earth. We’d extended the yard, and Haru finally got his dream pool. Sora loved swimming, and even now he was wading happily through the water. Hiro was lying a safe distance from the water, sleeping soundly. 

“Having fun without me?” I called, getting Haru’s attention.

Clad in his jammers, Haru floated easily in the pool. “Welcome home,” he called back, as I walked to the edge of the pool.

He slowly waded forward, supporting an energetic two-year-old.

“Dad!” The boy said excitedly, climbing out of the pool when he and Haru reached the edge. He hugged my waist, pointing to the water. “Papa teach me to swim!”

“Oh yeah?” I said enthusiastically, kneeling by him. “Is it fun?”

“Yeah!”

“He’s a quick learner,” Haru commented, leaning over to give me a peck on the lips. 

“Considering who his papa is, I’m not surprised,” I laughed.

The boy, Sakura, strikingly resembled Haru in many ways. His hair, though, was a deep red just like mine and Gou’s. Sakura’s big blue eyes bored into mine as he tugged on my hand.

“Will you swim, Dad?” He asked. “Sora swim too!”

Sora gave a happy bark at the mention of his name.

“You know what,” I said, grinning and ruffling Sakura’s hair. “Why not? Is it okay if I join, Papa?”

Haru chuckled softly, resting his elbows on the edge of the pool.

“I don’t see why not.”

I quickly ducked inside and changed into my legskins, then went back out to find Sakura sitting with his feet in the water, Haru close by to keep watch on him. I took a couple of steps back, then ran forward.

“Cannonball!” I yelled, and jumped into the water.

Sakura’s laughter and cheering was audible even through the water, and I broke the surface laughing as my family clapped for me.

I’d never thought I’d end up where I am today, but it was a beautiful journey that led me here.

Even now, the end wasn’t here just yet.

I was beginning a whole new chapter of my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it. The story of Rin and Haru meeting in a cafe and falling in love has come to a close. There's a strange ache in my chest, knowing that it's over. But I'm thankful for everyone who has read ILYAL and ToMH, because this fic wouldn't have gone on without you.  
> And thank you to everyone who's been here since the beginning, and to those who always left comments on almost every chapter. I've memorized some of your usernames, and I think that's beautiful. With this fic over, I'll be getting back to my other one.  
> But fear not! I have a few more one shots planned for this AU, so look forward to those! And again, thanks so much for reading, I love you all!!!  
> You can find me on Tumblr (sharkbait-rin) if you ever wanna chat!


End file.
